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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Recent Examples of melees
College basketball games recently have turned into full-contact melees after hard fouls on the court.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melees
Noun
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There are five consecutive brawls in the final two minutes, including one involving both goalies.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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This is a grand adventure and cracking good mystery awash with gaslighting, brawls, murders, red herrings and a secret society.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The train, which was originally slated to open in 2023, has faced significant delays caused by clashes between the airport and contractor, LAX Integrated Express Solutions, over timeline, compensation and production.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested in connection with the device at Saturday’s chaotic rally, which saw clashes between Lang and counterprotesters outside the Upper East Side mayoral residence of Mayor Mamdani.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melees. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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