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
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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
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And while his 11 years with the Yankees were often marked with verbal skirmishes with George Steinbrenner, in 1982 the Boss showed his respect for Nettles’ baseball acumen and quiet clubhouse leadership to name him the first Yankee captain since Thurman Munson’s death in 1979.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
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These were not skirmishes but full-scale conflicts, usually costing tens—sometimes hundreds—of thousands of lives.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Elizabeth was principled and compassionate while Jessica was carefree, outgoing and manipulative, and their clashes and crushes became a welcome distraction.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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In central states, climate change has sharpened competition over land and water, intensifying clashes between farmers and herders.—
Yusuf Tuggar,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That set off a flurry of court briefs, legal fights and public protests calling for Torres’s release.—
Gregory Royal Pratt,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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The dominant force in big tech has shifted from online censorship fights, which sharpened questions about platforms’ size and reach, to AI urgency, where the industry and the White House are more aligned.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The series of legal battles and a looming referendum take aim at an unprecedented special session in which lawmakers redrew the state’s congressional districts.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
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Almost fifty years ahead of the battles of World War II, the Marquis de Morès had faced death in order to avoid handing Africa over to the British and the Jews.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dustups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustups. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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