as in fisticuffs
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Recent Examples of fistfight
When a screaming match nearly ended in a fistfight—the director was famously into drugs, booze, and gambling at the time—Toberoff quit.
—
Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
The film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, shows LaBeouf berating actors and crew members, instigating a fistfight and engaging in other aggressive behavior.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The confrontation turned into a fistfight, and as her daughter was walking back into their house, someone shot her in the back.
—Joy Benedict, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
The pursuers yelled taunts, threw bottles, and expected the two women to settle their differences with a fistfight, according to court records.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fistfight
Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
The film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, shows LaBeouf berating actors and crew members, instigating a fistfight and engaging in other aggressive behavior.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The confrontation turned into a fistfight, and as her daughter was walking back into their house, someone shot her in the back.
—Joy Benedict, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
The pursuers yelled taunts, threw bottles, and expected the two women to settle their differences with a fistfight, according to court records.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fistfight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fistfight
Noun
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The Yankees started their slugfest in style against the Rays, as Judge’s big fly traveled 429 feet to the batter’s eye at Steinbrenner Field.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
20 Aug. 2025
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Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jack Westover Notes: It’s been a slow, ugly slugfest among the backup tight ends to see who can win the No. 3 job.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The confrontation was set off in July of 1956, when Egypt’s ruler, Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, a charismatic populist, nationalized the Anglo-French company that had operated the canal since its creation in 1869, during the colonial era.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The tense and often violent confrontations outside the Broadview facility included questionable tactics by the federal officers with their use of tear gas and less-lethal munitions on demonstrators.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Leftist candidate wins Paris mayoral race The French left won the Paris mayor’s race, one of a number of blows to far-right and center-right challengers in nationwide municipal polls.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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What mattered more than his terseness was that Norris was allowed to land a few meaningful blows against the usually untouchable Lee, who stars as Tang Lung, a fighter summoned to defend a restaurant owner menaced by a crime boss.—
Chris Klimek,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The vibe and verve are like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World meets Repo Man, but the material needed an extra punch-up at script stage.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Feb. 2026
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But comics depend on feedback – punch-ups from fellow comedians and reactions from audiences – iterating jokes in the same way lean startups may innovate new products.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, the show downplays the severity of the incident and most crucially the fact that a child was present and injured in the melee.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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One cadet was hospitalized in critical condition, while the other was treated and released after the deadly melee.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Paolo Banchero prevailed in a duel with DeMar DeRozan, putting up 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead the Magic to a 121-117 victory over the Kings at Kia Center in Orlando.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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The opposing sides spent roughly the first two years of the war engaged in a lopsided artillery duel along the front, which stretched for more than 600 miles.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Their rivalry reached its peak in 2018, when the two engaged in an on-court brawl during a matchup between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Abbott, Patrick brawl over complete ban The debate over a complete ban on THC was one of the most high-profile issues in the Texas Legislature's regular session last year.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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During the portion of Thursday’s practice open to reporters, the Patriots practiced punch-out drills directly in front of reporters.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
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For a lower-stakes, breezier project, try a camellias-lilacs-and-sunflower wooden bouquet ($40) or a faintly Lovecraftian punch-out assembly kit for a venomous blue-ringed octopus ($40).—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
15 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fistfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fistfight. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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