1
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
a dozen people were arrested after the donnybrook at the stadium
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2
as in altercation
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the kind of hot-button issue that inevitably creates a donnybrook in the halls of the statehouse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of donnybrook
Of course, that’s exactly what Governor Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu and the developer want; A knockdown, drag out, talk radio donnybrook over a shelter being shoehorned into a tiny former nursing home nestled among a family neighborhood in the Holy Name parish.
—
Lou Murray, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
In short, this super-sized donnybrook does not seem likely to quiet down anytime soon.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Completing the quartet is Justin Withers’ Demetrius, who unleashes his comic chops during a hilarious donnybrook.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Saturday’s donnybrook at the Horseshoe may not have scared up the massive numbers that last year’s Ohio State-Michigan showdown delivered, but Fox’s broadcast of the 120th installment of The Game still ranks as the college football season’s second-biggest TV draw.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for donnybrook
Lou Murray, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
In short, this super-sized donnybrook does not seem likely to quiet down anytime soon.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Completing the quartet is Justin Withers’ Demetrius, who unleashes his comic chops during a hilarious donnybrook.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Saturday’s donnybrook at the Horseshoe may not have scared up the massive numbers that last year’s Ohio State-Michigan showdown delivered, but Fox’s broadcast of the 120th installment of The Game still ranks as the college football season’s second-biggest TV draw.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for donnybrook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for donnybrook
Noun
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Budget brawl House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley chats with legislators during the 2025 Georgia Legislative session.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
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Suwałki police said in their release that officers responded to a report of a brawl that happened during a wedding reception held in an apartment in Suwałki.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Charles Melton plays an American GI named Private K who’s trying to locate his daughter and keeps getting into bloody altercations.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 May 2026
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The argument escalates into a physical altercation, with the two characters coming to blows in the middle of the newsroom.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Noun
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The dispute has also been tied to retention, with discontent feeding concerns that talent may leave for SK Hynix, Samsung’s aggressive memory rival.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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There is no formal system for resolving disputes over impressions, and performers often avoid escalating them publicly — Hammond among them.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Noun
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In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
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As the trio quarrels, bonds and ventures through the wild unknown, Felix discovers that true bravery may change not only his own destiny, but also the future of his home.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Noun
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Since the controversies erupted, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been engaged in discussions, including leaders of the Democratic Women's Caucus and the Republican Women's Caucus.—
Nikole Killion,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
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Was that a conscious decision after the controversy surrounding past tweets that made some people see you as a villain during the Emilia Pérez Oscar campaign?—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Public safety dominated the exchange, with sharp disagreements over crime trends, law enforcement authority and the role sheriffs should play in statewide policy.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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In addition, this legislation could provide leaders with protection on state laws pertaining to NIL, which has led to lawsuits and a plethora of disagreements.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The fight will be contested at welterweight, and White did not clarify how many rounds the bout would be contested at.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Uthmeier has taken a courageous stand, and should finish the fight.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The argument for keeping an underperforming manager tends to centre on whether there were enough mitigating circumstances behind a bad season, and whether the club can use their summer to make the correct changes in player recruitment and wider infrastructure to fix things.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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This abrupt stylistic shift is in service of an overtly political argument.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Donnybrook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/donnybrook. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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