scrimmage

noun

ˈskri-mij How to pronounce scrimmage (audio)
Definition of scrimmagenext
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups the two players got into a scrimmage off the court and got suspended

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 scrimmage Last season, Gibbs totaled 1,839 yards from scrimmage, including 1,223 rushing yards and 616 receiving yards, while scoring 18 touchdowns. — CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026 Dart was barking at the offensive players to get up on the line of scrimmage. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 The Falcons have tried putting Perkins in various alignments on the line of scrimmage to maximize his unique ability to rush the passer. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Team Gray, coached by Kimani Young on Friday, has been losing more scrimmages than winning, but prevailed in overtime with a winning shot by — guess who? — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrimmage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrimmage
  1. skirmish
  2. clash
  3. battle
  4. fight
Noun
  • The controversy is at once new and familiar, reflecting both the dramatic changes that the proliferation of AI has wrought on book publishing and echoing other skirmishes this year in which authors have been accused of using AI.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Elsewhere, Kyle Williams went deep again, a starting edge rusher finally popped and a small skirmish broke out on the Patriots sideline.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of skirmish
Noun
  • The case highlights the clash between the public’s expectation of privacy and the government’s contention that warrantless searches of phones and other electronics help keep Americans safe.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Regular clashes in race dates between the two series have been a problem for drivers hoping to pair their racing programs.
    — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of clash
Noun
  • Alex Wagner, who served as assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs during the Biden administration, argued recruiting has remained remarkably insulated from those political battles.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The fight preceded the Zeus main event, which was a battle between stars from the network’s Baddies series, Tehneski and Big Lex.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • With just four games of their regular season remaining, their challenge for the promotion play-offs seemed to be slipping away without much of a fight.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • No matter, seconds later Scott's corner threw multiple towels in the ring to stop the fight.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of fight

Phrases Containing scrimmage

Browse Nearby Words

scribing
scrimmage
scrimmaged (with)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrimmage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrimmage. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on scrimmage

Nglish: Translation of scrimmage for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scrimmage

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 divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All