as in fisticuffs
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Recent Examples of punch-up
That said, the negative reputation surrounding the last lines in Jones’ thorny adaptation — a punch-up from Ellison’s original text that’s meaner and more sexist, no doubt — seems outsized.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
The Oscar promo did end up being released, with the main concept intact but minus those punch-ups.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
In the hands of the endlessly inventive comedian, the tale of a boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and seeks out fame and fortune becomes a madcap delight complete with a zingy script, cartoonish punch-ups, collapsing sets, and a heady dose of magical realism.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Often, when shows do crossovers, the writers on one will do punch-up for their characters on the other.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2025
Toward the end there’s a punch-up, with several players involved.
—David Szalay, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024
Of the new cast additions, only Ayoade is doing anything funny, but Xeni’s pretentious banter could have used a writerly punch-up from somebody like Richard Ayoade.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
The Oscar promo did end up being released, with the main concept intact but minus those punch-ups.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
In the hands of the endlessly inventive comedian, the tale of a boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and seeks out fame and fortune becomes a madcap delight complete with a zingy script, cartoonish punch-ups, collapsing sets, and a heady dose of magical realism.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Often, when shows do crossovers, the writers on one will do punch-up for their characters on the other.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2025
Toward the end there’s a punch-up, with several players involved.
—David Szalay, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024
Of the new cast additions, only Ayoade is doing anything funny, but Xeni’s pretentious banter could have used a writerly punch-up from somebody like Richard Ayoade.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch-up
Noun
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As the game ended, a video on social media appeared to show Johnson’s father and brother getting into a fistfight with other fans in Dublin.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Packed as the series is with fistfights and shootouts and car chases, its heart truly lies in the family drama, driven by heightened but recognizable impulses.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Yankees started their slugfest in style against the Rays, as Judge’s big fly traveled 429 feet to the batter’s eye at Steinbrenner Field.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
20 Aug. 2025
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Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jack Westover Notes: It’s been a slow, ugly slugfest among the backup tight ends to see who can win the No. 3 job.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Rodgers took four sacks and three other hits, including multiple heavy blows.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Last March, Mariah The Scientist allegedly came to blows with Young Thug’s former lover, Cleopatra Dues, at an Atlanta lounge.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The footage appears to show Lawrence and Pattinson in a heated confrontation, while other moments feature a character wielding a knife.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Even as liberal-seeming Amir invites Yusuf to join the Muslim Association, an informal organization of male Arab landowners, Yusuf’s father is killed in a night-time confrontation with the settlers.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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During the melee, several punches were thrown.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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More Edmonds/Getty Images All of a sudden, Freeland was yelling at Devers, Devers was pausing his home run trot to yell back, and players were streaming out of dugouts to create a melee.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But back in the 2010s, Kershaw was a dominant strikeout pitcher who recorded at least 200 punch-outs in a season seven times during the ten-year span from 2010 to 2019.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
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The lefty was able to work his way out of trouble each time, first striking out Ozuna to end the third before getting a pair of punch-outs to end the fourth after initially putting two on with nobody out.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Setting aside the brewing shutdown brawl, allowing the subsidies to go by the way side could also be politically untenable for certain vulnerable Republicans and tee up voter backlash in next year’s midterms.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Inter Miami players Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Tomas Aviles, and Seattle Sounders staff member Steven Lenhart, received multiple game suspensions from the 2026 Leagues Cup as punishment for their behavior during a post-game brawl following Sunday’s Leagues Cup final.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 27-year-old is technical, strong in duels, has a great engine to move up and down the pitch, a good ball progresser and reader of the game.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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After Fairview won 35-30 in a duel last fall, the two programs from the northwest quadrant of the metro delivered another intriguing bout in 2025.—
Matt Schubert,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch-up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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