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
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
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
-
Amid the skirmishes that ensued, federal agents fired a chemical agent toward a protester at near-point-blank range, and security personnel later opened fire on a U-Haul truck that had backed up toward a barrier on the island’s bridge, injuring the driver and an apparent bystander.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Activists literally or figuratively flying the antifa flag have long been among the subset of people who go to protests to destroy property and get into violent skirmishes with far-right protestors (like the Proud Boys).—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
On Friday, clashes between protesters and immigration agents erupted near a middle school in Evanston, a suburb north of Chicago.—
NPR,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Early on, federal agents guarding the building deployed tear gas and shot pepper balls in clashes with protesters and arrested some of them, including some charged with felonies on suspicion of assaulting or blocking officers.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Historical police data shows arguments or fights escalating was a factor in about 29% of all homicides in the city since 2020.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
However, leaking information about fights, movements, and filming activity happens all the time.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Nor are the ongoing battles to comply with rules both at home and abroad.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The court battles that followed won the tribe a crucial gaming compact, and the ability to buy the land that would become home to Sky River Casino.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dustups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustups. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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