Thesaurus results for MELEE

melee

noun

ˈmā-ˌlā

as in brawl

a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people a verbal disagreement at the football game soon turned into a general melee involving scores of spectators

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 melee By the time the melee had subsided, responding police officers determined that three men had been shot and a woman had been assaulted. —

Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026 The refs continued to try to stop the melee, which spilled into the crowd. —

Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026 The confrontation caused a melee afterward, which was caught on video. —

Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026 The melee was broken up by authorities quickly, though the yelling continued as they were ushered out of the room. —

Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for melee

Recent Examples of Synonyms for melee

brawl

Noun

More thrilling than a hockey brawl?

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2026
Back in 2018, a brawl nearly happened on the court after New Mexico forward Joe Furstinger shoved the Broncos’ Anthony Mathis following a 73-71 win for the visitors.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026