as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
several chairs were knocked over in the scuffle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 scuffle
Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
According to an arrest affidavit, a scuffle between Gabriel and Anderson’s brother led to Anderson pulling out a gun.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Curt Anderson, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Jothan saw us and shook our hands, as did Michael Ray, but Sun Ra scuffled by with an air of depthless blankness.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Noun
The scuffle started when Hueston turned around and tried to swing at Harris before officials got between the two players.
—Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
According to an arrest affidavit, a scuffle between Gabriel and Anderson’s brother led to Anderson pulling out a gun.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
While the Canadians and Americans cruised into the quarters with three easy wins and a bye, Sweden had to scuffle its way into the final eight.
—Curt Anderson, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Jothan saw us and shook our hands, as did Michael Ray, but Sun Ra scuffled by with an air of depthless blankness.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffle
Noun
-
The curbs were initially enacted in 2020 after a border skirmish escalated tensions between the world’s two most populous nations.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The incident occurred during a skirmish between counterprotesters and an anti-Islam protest led by far-right activist Jake Lang outside Gracie Mansion.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Samson Fellows shuffled in his slippers to a small space heater and flicked it on.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The Green Bay Packers are doing some shuffling at cornerback by adding Benjamin St-Juste while informing Nate Hobbs of a plan to release him a year after signing him to the $48 million, four-year contract, according to two people with knowledge of the decisions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The question most are wrestling with right now is, how long will the lag period — and friction — between these two cycles last?—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
One question law enforcement and Homeland Security officials may be wrestling with, Chasdi said, is whether the public alerts enhance safety by heightening awareness or whether the publicity about them may, unintentionally, inspire more of them.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The cross-border clashes, which erupted late last month, have shown no signs of abating despite efforts by China and Turkey to broker a ceasefire.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Defense was absent from the Nuggets’ game plan early in this clash, though, and Murray Supreme was nowhere to be seen.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The movie follows Rick Power (Rudd), a wedding band singer who stumbles into a late-night jam session with former boy band star Danny (Jonas) and reignites his passion for songwriting.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Just a nibble on a leaf or petal can lead to rapid kidney damage with loss of appetite, vomiting, hypersalivation, lethargy and sometimes neurological signs such as stumbling, tremors and seizures.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Zelenskyy noted that providing interceptors was not enough to help fight drone attacks.—
SYLVIE CORBET,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Pakistan denied targeting civilians, as fighting between the neighbors entered its third week.—
Abdul Qahar Afghan,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The war inside The game was ultimately decided by the battle inside the paint as TCU’s frontline of Punch and junior center Xavier Edmonds scrapped and clawed with Kansas’ talented big men Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
-
He was involved in multiple relegation battles and believes having the right mindset is key.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Three weeks later, Jalloh allegedly assaulted an older male and stomped his head into the ground.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
-
This wasn’t the three-time Cy Young Award version of this man who stomped through their clubhouse doors this week.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffle. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
