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dustups

noun

plural of dustup
as in skirmishes
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dustups As for the offense overall, Payne agreed that the dustups with the defense helped motivate the offense. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026 The second half ground almost to a halt with a few minor dustups for fouls and arguments. — Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026 To Washington, the dustups are the sort of tough love the continent needs. — Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026 While the midair dustups are trending down after the Federal Aviation Administration adopted a zero-tolerance policy and increased fines almost five years ago, the incidents will end up close to double the three-year average before the pandemic. — Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dustups
  1. skirmishes
  2. clashes
  3. fights
  4. battles
Noun
  • Oasis’s Live ’25 was one of the biggest tours of the decade, marking the band’s first performances in 15 years after brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher’s intense skirmishes led to the band breaking up in 2009.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Asgari highlights these minor skirmishes through life itself (whether at its most verbose, or in complete silence) via minor aesthetic transformations which play in major keys, and prove deeply moving.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of skirmishes
Noun
  • Next year’s schedule avoids clashes with two other auto racing highlights, the Indianapolis 500 on May 30 and the Le Mans 24-hour race on June 12-13.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Two years ago, in the lead-up to one of these clashes, a reporter coaxed a smile out of then-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of clashes
Noun
  • Some of his worst fights happened with Justin Burnell, a manager who eventually became a partner at Drastic Measures, according to multiple employees.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The Ultimate Fighting Championship built up its early lore with tournaments in which all the fights happened on the same night.
    — Oskar Garcia, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of fights
Noun
  • In 2019, Mary Max died by suicide two weeks after The New York Times published a story detailing legal battles over his work.
    — BETH J. HARPAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Among the highest-profile battles was against USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, who had two catches on three targets for 28 yards when Moore was covering him.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of battles

Browse Nearby Words

dustup
dustups
dusty
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Cite this Entry

“Dustups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustups. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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