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
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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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The Avs and Stars haven’t had games devolve into all-out brawls like Tampa Bay and Florida have.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
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The change had come following years of youth disturbances, including major brawls and nearby shootings.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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More than 20 people died in that incident, and another 30 were injured, and banknotes from the plane's cargo scattered around the crash site, prompting clashes between residents and security forces.—
Luis Jaime Acosta,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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Taken together, the clashes in Virginia, New Jersey, Utah, Wisconsin, and other states point to a deeper institutional standoff.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melees. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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