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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dustups
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
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
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
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
-
While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton.
-
Continue reading … — Two arrested as skirmishes erupt outside courthouse after Karmelo Anthony verdict.
Noun
-
But occasionally there can be personality clashes or people who other people on the trip find annoying.
-
Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long seen clashes between security forces, insurgents and drug smugglers.
Noun
-
Skoog said he was honored to receive Sayers’ endorsement, saying mayors are focused on delivering results rather than engaging in political fights.
-
For five months, sentiment ran consistently negative, dragged down by trade disputes, NATO burden-sharing fights and the general friction between Washington and European capitals.
Noun
-
Informal Beyblade battles are popping up in strangest of places, with players huddling in parks, gyms and shopping malls.
-
Unlike in Jalisco or Michoacán, spectacular gun battles are hardly ever seen in Colima.
Cite this Entry
“Dustups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustups. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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