as in brawls
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melees
Noun
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Investigators aren't saying if there's a connection between Henderson's death and brawls at the bar.—
Ross Guidotti,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026 -
The plastic whistles and the car horns and the street brawls and the neighborhoods emptying into streets — the whole communities playing immovable rock to unstoppable federal force.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And Eat Street was the scene of a series of clashes, before federal officers and local and state police pulled back and protesters took over the area.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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Considered to be one of the earliest TV villains, the reality television alum was known for his lack of personal hygiene, as well as his frequent clashes with fellow housemates.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Melees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melees. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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