Synonyms of 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

• brawl
• altercation
• clash
• skirmish
• affray
• fracas
• rough-and-tumble
• ruckus
• row
• fray
• broil
• scuffle
• ruction
• free-for-all
• fisticuffs
• combat
• donnybrook
• tussle
• battle
• scrimmage
• quarrel
• horseplay
• conflict
• argument
• dispute
• spat
• contest
• struggle
• tiff
• squabble
• roughhousing
• scrap
• wrangle
• handgrips
• hassle
• kickup

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of melee

The melee was a hot topic at Monday night's city council meeting. — Julia Avant, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Wepa Up retained their titles via disqualification against the War Raiders amidst a chaotic post-match melee involving the Tongas. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Paredes, who had already received a yellow card in Sunday’s game, was shown a red card for his role in the melee. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 24 July 2026

That distinction never sat well with Perez’s family, as evidenced by a melee that erupted during a previous court proceeding. — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026

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