as in public
freely available for use or participation by all
the public library has a free-for-all lending policy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
during the play-offs, fans of the opposing teams clashed in the streets in several free-for-alls
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in jumble
a state in which everything is out of order
it was a free-for-all when the doors to the arena opened and the crowd rushed in all at once
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of free-for-all
The Editors, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026
Founded in February 2021 by Tehranian and Matthew Vernon, Foundation distinguished itself from free-for-all marketplaces like OpenSea through an invite-only model aimed at digital artists and serious collectors.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
All of this has led some bettors to view prediction markets as an insider trading free-for-all.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
Other Brands Are Joining in on the Fun The brand’s Instagram comments section turned into a free-for-all after the announcement.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for free-for-all
Noun
Every Friday night from May to November, the Legendary Cyphers crew hosts a hip-hop free-for-all in Union Square Park with rappers of all skill levels taking turns freestyling over a communal beat.
—The Editors, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026
Founded in February 2021 by Tehranian and Matthew Vernon, Foundation distinguished itself from free-for-all marketplaces like OpenSea through an invite-only model aimed at digital artists and serious collectors.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
All of this has led some bettors to view prediction markets as an insider trading free-for-all.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
Other Brands Are Joining in on the Fun The brand’s Instagram comments section turned into a free-for-all after the announcement.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for free-for-all
Recent Examples of Synonyms for free-for-all
Adjective
-
Cost of living, public safety and border security are hurting working families.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
In California, the effects of the breach rippled across the state’s largest public and private institutions within hours Thursday.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Viral videos of onboard brawls contributed to the airline’s notoriety.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Fajitagate became the moniker for a drunken brawl involving three off-duty San Francisco police officers and two men over a bag of steak fajitas.—
Richard Halstead,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Rescuers found the son trapped with his dead dad’s body after forcing open their apartment door, Singh said.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
-
Their hounding defense and Johnson’s decision to aggressively trap Anthony Edwards blew the game wide open, as the Spurs let the Wolves take open 3s, and Minnesota missed almost all of them.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Used his size and good wheels to create havoc in the offensive zone, took on all comers and pitched in offensively with double-digit goals.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
Now, using currently available AI models, the barriers of entry to wreaking cyber havoc have been lowered.—
Hugh Son,Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
However, Becerra cautioned against treating such funding as an unrestricted pool.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
-
There are four unrestricted free agents — Burns, Brett Kulak, Nick Blankenburg on defense, Joel Kiviranta at forward.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The bullpen chaos has only added to the wild ride, with many different players playing a role.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Educators are overhauling their classroom management approach to cut down on the chaos.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
This autumn, though, the feminist alt-rock icons are finally giving us one hell of a sonic supernova.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But, this specific adaptation could be equally advantaged by presenting an imagined hell within our lesser, present one.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Free-for-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free-for-all. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
