ruckus

noun

ˈrə-kəs
Definition of ruckusnext
1
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people the ruckus left one person with a sprained wrist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity quit creating such a ruckus—I'm trying to sleep!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ruckus Nearly all of those kids causing a ruckus on our first floor this past winter were students at my school. — Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026 By the time Yohel Pozo hit a walk-off single in the 11th inning, the Lumberjacks had other fans — and even the mascot Fredbird — joining in on the ruckus. — ABC News, 16 May 2026 By some estimates, nearly 150 peacocks are roaming free, causing a ruckus and showing aggressive behavior against humans, cars and urban gardens. — Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 14 May 2026 Others revolted against mask-wearing and caused a ruckus in the air. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ruckus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruckus
  1. brawl
  2. commotion
  3. altercation
  4. disturbance
  5. stir
  6. fuss
  7. hurry
  8. turmoil
Noun
  • My first match with Taylor was as his assistant on a tempestuous game between Leicester City and Watford in 2007 that produced 11 yellow cards and a mass brawl.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Instead, some of its players turned the postgame handshakes into a brawl, with Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes drawing a red card for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and shoving him to the turf.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of brawl
Noun
  • In a United conference room tucked away from the commotion of the terminal, the musicians get out their instruments and are harmonizing a few seconds later.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • This surface commotion fires up all manner of predatory gamefish.
    — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2026
Definition of commotion
Noun
  • Police detained Schmidt twice during the altercation, originally placing him into the police vehicle after the officer shot his black Labrador, according to eyewitness Paul Bates.
    — Gabe White, Arkansas Online, 21 July 2026
  • Justin Sullivan / Getty Images file The altercation unfolded July 14 at the United Airlines counter at SFO as the family was trying to leave for a trip to Canada.
    — Thom Jensen, NBC news, 20 July 2026
Definition of altercation
Noun
  • Cherry residents say developers and city leaders must do a better job protecting neighborhoods from preventable disturbances during big projects.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • By contrast, ecological systems are complexly interconnected, meaning that when one element is disturbed, all the other components linked to it are affected, too, spreading the disturbance throughout the system.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of disturbance
Noun
  • The Academy caused quite a stir by deciding to cut five categories from this year’s primetime Emmy telecast.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
  • Also new are the property’s five food and beverage outlets, offering drinks and eats that range from a craft beer taproom and ice cream shop to gourmet tacos, Asian stir fry and Costa Rican cuisine.
    — Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of stir
Noun
  • Much fuss has been made online about these audience scores by a segment of the population who believe The Odyssey was destined to fail, and something sinister must be going on behind the scenes to produce these numbers.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Midfielder Joao Neves looks to move the ball on quickly, finding Bruno Fernandes with a quick pass, but Rodri is aware and instantly closes him down, barging him off the ball and returning the ball to his centre-back with minimal fuss.
    — Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of fuss
Noun
  • Two years into her reign, in 2024, an insider revealed that Camilla wasn’t in any hurry to step away.
    — Starr Bowenbank, InStyle, 18 July 2026
  • Prairiewolf has always seemed bent on finding new territory while being in no particular hurry to get there.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 17 July 2026
Definition of hurry
Noun
  • So then this kind of social turmoil also with the economic turmoil, inflation was really, really high for a number of years in the '90s.
    — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • First signs of turmoil emerged in July last year, when LuisaViaRoma revealed plans to streamline its business operations by shutting its unit and office in Milan.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 July 2026
Definition of turmoil

Browse Nearby Words

rucksacks
ruckus
ruckuses
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ruckus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruckus. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kludge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All