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
He and Raiders coach Pete Carroll intervened to keep a couple of dustups from turning into fights, including on special teams.
—
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Brooks and Dodson had to be separated by teammates, but after the dustup happened the team and linebackers carried on like nothing had taken place the rest of the practice.
—Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
OpenAI quickly reversed course, but the dustup underscores the perils of releasing new models as AI becomes more intertwined with people’s lives.
—Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
The dustup threatens to further destabilize Intel at a critical moment.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Brooks and Dodson had to be separated by teammates, but after the dustup happened the team and linebackers carried on like nothing had taken place the rest of the practice.
—Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
OpenAI quickly reversed course, but the dustup underscores the perils of releasing new models as AI becomes more intertwined with people’s lives.
—Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
The dustup threatens to further destabilize Intel at a critical moment.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dustup
Noun
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Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The cutbacks are the result of a clash over two budgets—the SEPTA budget and the Pennsylvania budget.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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An opening clash in Luxembourg is followed up by a bout against the four-time world champions in Cologne, as Michael O’Neill’s young team dreams of emulating the side that made it to the 1986 tournament in Mexico.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The move is the latest update in a years-long battle over the home of the military's newest combatant command, which is now based in Colorado Springs.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In August 2024, Francesca opened up about her mom’s battle with Parkinson’s disease in a video on TikTok.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sinner eventually came through in a display of fight and quality in adversity, and now has a day’s rest to manage the problem.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Classes were offered on serving in-fight refreshments and putting on make-up.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dustup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustup. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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