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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The onset of the Great Depression, which hit Germany’s fragile economy harder than most, heralded a rapid rise in street brawls among these groups.—
Time,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025 -
Every week provides viral moments captured on cellphones of sports fans behaving badly, often erupting into life-altering brawls and chaos.—
Ed Lavandera,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Activists literally or figuratively flying the antifa flag have long been among the subset of people who go to protests to destroy property and get into violent skirmishes with far-right protestors (like the Proud Boys).—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
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Law enforcement officers have deployed tear gas and pepper balls in skirmishes with protesters.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
13 Oct. 2025
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“Melees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melees. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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