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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Recent Examples of dustup
The position dustups have also exposed Devers’ first instinct to be inwardly focused.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
The public relations dustups at Nike, Coke and many others are symptoms of a much bigger problem—when brands lose their way and need to recapture the spotlight, stress sets in and mistakes are made.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
But contemporary critics such as Arthur Kropp, the president in 1991 of the progressive advocacy group People for the American Way, did see the dustup as a portent way back then.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2025
The film, which chronicles prosecutors’ controversial 2023 raid on an online news outlet amid a defamation dustup with then-President Yoon Suk Yeol,, has grossed $276,864 since its midweek opening.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
The public relations dustups at Nike, Coke and many others are symptoms of a much bigger problem—when brands lose their way and need to recapture the spotlight, stress sets in and mistakes are made.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
But contemporary critics such as Arthur Kropp, the president in 1991 of the progressive advocacy group People for the American Way, did see the dustup as a portent way back then.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2025
The film, which chronicles prosecutors’ controversial 2023 raid on an online news outlet amid a defamation dustup with then-President Yoon Suk Yeol,, has grossed $276,864 since its midweek opening.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dustup
Noun
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The protests were substantially peaceful, although small skirmishes resulting in arrests, damage to property and injuries broke out when police tried to disperse the crowd with rubber bullets and tear gas.—
Megan Schrader,
Denver Post,
22 June 2025
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Eisman drew similarities between the rocky trade environment and lead-up to World War I, likely referring to a series of treaties forged in the decades before the war designed to settle regional skirmishes that, in reality, created two massive, and eventually opposing, alliances.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The clash between the two drivers was likely carried forward from the previous race in Detroit, where McLaughlin crashed into Siegel from behind, causing him to get knocked out of the race.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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India, the fanatical cricket country, against England, the founding fathers of the game, will be a clash of styles.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Noun
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While the legal battle is ongoing, the judge's ruling is an early win for the states and a setback for the Trump administration.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
25 June 2025
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That same month, Adams withdrew his candidacy for the Democratic primary, saying the legal battle had prevented him from effectively campaigning.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Amid the physical fights during each game, the broader battle between Gi-hun and the Front Man has always been existential: Are people worth saving?—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
27 June 2025
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Then, in 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts do not have a role to play in deciding legal fights over partisan gerrymandering, when state's voting lines are drawn to entrench the political party in power.—
June 27,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dustup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustup. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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