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 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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And the Pakistani military has been engaged in cross-border skirmishes with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan for months.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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With billions of dollars at stake, the conflicts manifest in sharp skirmishes in the Legislature, in courts and in the ballot measure arena.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The deepening crisis has also sparked protests and clashes across the island.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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From there, the play builds into a seismic clash between the two, each arguing for their place, with Curator caught in the middle.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Three months into faith leaders’ legal battle, they were allowed back inside the facility in February for Ash Wednesday after a court order granted limited access.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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In the midst of a restitution battle, records show that Kilpatrick is at risk of losing a home in Novi over more than $50,000 in unpaid property taxes.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The confrontation, which led to multiple 911 calls reporting a fight involving a firearm, resulted in the arrest of Ahmad Zeeshan.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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The United States Powered Paragliding Association and Experimental Aircraft Association have written letters supporting the ultralight pilots in their fight against the county airport, as cited in the documents under review for the FAA’s upcoming decision.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dustup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustup. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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