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 Game director Cary Trzcinski made sure emotions did not boil over and lead to a melee, sticking his thick body and fierce game face into one brewing moment in the second half. —

Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026 Minneapolis police said Monday a federal agent was injured during the melee, and that a Minneapolis officer who was inside of the hotel attempted to provide aid to the agent. —

Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 26 Jan. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for melee

Recent Examples of Synonyms for melee

brawl

Noun

Two of the five teenagers detained in Quakertown remain in custody Thursday after an anti-ICE protest turned into a brawl with the police chief, according to an attorney for one of the teens.

— Liz Crawford, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Friars forward Duncan Powell struck a driving Hopkins in the head during the second half of the Red Storm’s eventual 79-69 win — a flagrant foul that sparked a brawl between the teams.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026