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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Recent Examples of dustups
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
And the headline bombshells continue in the who-did-what-when mortgage dustups.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 17 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
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
And the headline bombshells continue in the who-did-what-when mortgage dustups.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 17 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
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
-
The tactics of federal immigration agents have come under intense scrutiny after the shooting of Good and growing skirmishes between federal officers and protesters.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And Eat Street was the scene of a series of clashes, before federal officers and local and state police pulled back and protesters took over the area.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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Considered to be one of the earliest TV villains, the reality television alum was known for his lack of personal hygiene, as well as his frequent clashes with fellow housemates.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There were still fights to fight and Perfidia’s restlessness and struggles adjusting to motherhood led her to leave.—
Lindsey Underwood,
Vanity Fair,
13 Jan. 2026
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From high-stakes budget fights to ambitious transit plans and a political cycle already heating up, these are some of the people who will leave their fingerprints on the year ahead.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After stepping through a giant wooden door, tall grass teems with wild Pokémon, adorable critters strike charming poses and battles break out between fierce opponents.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
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ByteDance’s focus on AI ByteDance also has other battles to fight.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dustups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustups. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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