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
This dustup likely means that some of the nation’s most vulnerable will end up going hungry, at least temporarily.
—
Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Prior to the dustups with NBCU and TelevisaUnivision, YouTube TV had nearly blacked out Paramount and Fox networks, reaching deals with both media companies after tensions spilled into public view.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
And the headline bombshells continue in the who-did-what-when mortgage dustups.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
And the headline bombshells continue in the who-did-what-when mortgage dustups.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Prior to the dustups with NBCU and TelevisaUnivision, YouTube TV had nearly blacked out Paramount and Fox networks, reaching deals with both media companies after tensions spilled into public view.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
And the headline bombshells continue in the who-did-what-when mortgage dustups.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
And the headline bombshells continue in the who-did-what-when mortgage dustups.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dustup
Noun
-
These were not skirmishes but full-scale conflicts, usually costing tens—sometimes hundreds—of thousands of lives.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Joao Pedro and Igor Thiago have an in-person skirmish at Stamford Bridge.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The clashes have since descended into an all-out civil war, characterized by ethnic violence, attacks on civilians and atrocities committed by all sides, according to humanitarian groups and foreign governments.—
ByGuy Davies,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Iranian state television aired images of clashes and fires, while the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers were killed overnight, underscoring the increasingly violent nature of the confrontations.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This week, documents released amid the ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni included a series of texts between Lively and Swift.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
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The legal battles and war of words between local and federal officials have mirrored the contentious scene on the ground in the state.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Davisboro, Georgia Police Chief Leondus Dixon told CBS News a fight broke out among inmates during visitation hours at Washington State Prison in Davisboro.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Sheffey is jumping in the fight.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dustup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustup. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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