as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
several chairs were knocked over in the scuffle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
she scuffled along in shoes that were much too large for her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wrestle
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery
the burglar and the homeowner briefly scuffled together in the dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of scuffle
Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
After an unintended encounter with a furtive woman (Gitte Witt) in cabin 10, the one next to Lo’s, the reporter hears a violent scuffle through the walls, followed by a splash.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
Stephane Mahe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Three years later, Denver hired Cain as a pass-rush specialist, reuniting him with Bonitto as the young Bronco was scuffling through his second NFL season.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Noun
But that scuffle gives Lo enough time to escape and jump from the boat.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
After an unintended encounter with a furtive woman (Gitte Witt) in cabin 10, the one next to Lo’s, the reporter hears a violent scuffle through the walls, followed by a splash.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
In Montpellier, in the southwest, police scuffled with protesters who had set up a barricade to block traffic at a roundabout.
—Stephane Mahe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Three years later, Denver hired Cain as a pass-rush specialist, reuniting him with Bonitto as the young Bronco was scuffling through his second NFL season.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffle
Noun
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Amazon Prime commentator Kirk Herbstreit said as a guess at Rodgers' response to Jones, as footage of the sideline near-skirmish played for viewers.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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Why This Hurts More Than Before US-China trade tensions aren’t just another tariff skirmish.—
Vitalii Savryha,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The doctor grunted, shuffled off.—
Sam Lipsyte,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
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Mazzulla could shuffle his starting five from game to game, too, based on matchups and other factors.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Horne first entered the ring in 1991 and later wrestled for WWE from 1993 until 1996, briefly winning the promotion’s tag team championship in March 1994 alongside the wrestler Mabel.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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Any country whose currency, unlike the dollar, is not wanted by others to park extra cash, must wrestle with exchange rates.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The clash occurs more so on the stylistic side and acclimatising to Villa’s methods.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Fundraisers for the victims of devil attacks, apparently a common occurrence in this reality, acknowledge the death toll that these supernatural clashes leave behind.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most people don’t accidentally stumble into building a multimillion-dollar empire.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
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The trio stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence - and promptly compromises it.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The line occurs when the film’s protagonist, Ripley (Weaver), emerges from an elevator in a giant metal bodysuit, ready to fight a terrifying alien to save a young child.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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Season-long struggles; still fighting Charlotte has five games left on the schedule, starting with North Texas (6-1, 2-1 American) next Friday night on ESPN2.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Lima, Peru Reuters — Peru’s President Jose Jeri declared on Tuesday a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and the neighboring province of Callao, saying the move was to battle rising crime.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
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Hubbard has a track record of moving the chains effectively, which was necessary in a game that was going to be mostly a defensive battle.—
Mike Kaye
October 21,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ghost City Tours said Ryman's spirit would stomp around the room so loudly that spectators would be forced to leave.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
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The sound of her stomping up the staircase causes her parents to share a look of weary consternation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffle. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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