as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
he came home with a black eye from the dustup at the bar
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dustup
The pictures were released just hours after Mamdani downplayed the dustup at an unrelated news conference earlier in the day.
—
Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
To Washington, the dustups are the sort of tough love the continent needs.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Nvidia’s dustup with OpenAI appeared to have hit a nerve, causing the former’s stock price to continue its weeks-long plunge, dropping almost nine percent over the last five days.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
The dustup comes as Australia’s parliament prepares to consider harsher speech laws devised in the wake of the Bondi massacre.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
To Washington, the dustups are the sort of tough love the continent needs.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Nvidia’s dustup with OpenAI appeared to have hit a nerve, causing the former’s stock price to continue its weeks-long plunge, dropping almost nine percent over the last five days.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
The dustup comes as Australia’s parliament prepares to consider harsher speech laws devised in the wake of the Bondi massacre.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dustup
Noun
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In a dangerous escalation from cross-border skirmishes, Pakistan launched air strikes at the end of February, targeting major cities including Kabul.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Peaky Blinders don’t really lose any men at all in this skirmish.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Taken together, the clashes in Virginia, New Jersey, Utah, Wisconsin, and other states point to a deeper institutional standoff.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
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Shifting opinions While the 2024 war saw relative unity in Lebanon behind Hezbollah’s clashes with the IDF – feelings driven by anger at the war in Gaza – this latest conflict has seen emboldened opposition to the armed group.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At the time of the initial gun battle, the MacEgans were on an afternoon walk through a nearby field.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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So California may be readying to wage a two-front battle — the familiar one against smog, but a second, altogether new one, against an administration determined to let California get smoggy again.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The company develops and makes products for civilian and military use, such as drone technologies used by Ukraine's armed forces in the fight against the Russian invasion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
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The votes mark incremental progress toward resolving at least some of the vacancies that have fueled the dispute, particularly in Utah, where Holyoak’s interim status has become a flashpoint in the broader fight.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dustup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustup. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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