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
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Recent Examples of scuffle
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Roe was forced outside then re-entered and again scuffled with police and blocked them from moving the rioters out.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 2025
The Capitals have scuffled a bit since a 21-6-2 start, winning only seven of their last 14 games entering Tuesday’s tilt against Anaheim.
—James Mirtle, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
They were joined by hundreds of protesters, some of whom scuffled with the 300 or so soldiers and police officers at the site.
—Stella Kim, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Verb
The Celtics’ regulars then scuffled through the final 12 minutes, keeping the Bulls at arm’s length but not delivering any sort of authoritative knockout blow.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Roe was forced outside then re-entered and again scuffled with police and blocked them from moving the rioters out.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 2025
The Capitals have scuffled a bit since a 21-6-2 start, winning only seven of their last 14 games entering Tuesday’s tilt against Anaheim.
—James Mirtle, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
They were joined by hundreds of protesters, some of whom scuffled with the 300 or so soldiers and police officers at the site.
—Stella Kim, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffle
Noun
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The clashes are a sign of growing tensions at the Lebanon-Syria border, northeast of the Beqaa valley, where predominantly Shiite Lebanese villages have seen skirmishes with Syrian soldiers in recent weeks.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
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After his skirmish with Diarra, Neal waved his arms to fire up Creighton fans in the sellout crowd.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But experts encourage borrowers to take at least one step to protect themselves while personnel and programs at ED get shuffled around or canceled: keep a record.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2025
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Injuries have forced him to shuffle his lineup, yet the Celtics haven’t missed a beat.—
Don Yaeger,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Retail Media’s Measurement Challenges The retail media industry has wrestled with measurement standardization since its inception, with brands often frustrated by inconsistent approaches across different retailers.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Over his nearly 32-year career, Homicide wrestled for nearly every major promotion, with the notable exception of WWE.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Duke won 76-65 on the road in Louisville in the only regular-season clash between these teams.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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This style of play can make games often feel like the climax of a Star Wars movie where the action of the film cuts between clashes between starships and heroes on the ground.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The main character, a married artist in her mid-forties, sets out from her Los Angeles home, stumbles into a psychosexual dynamic with a young rental-car attendee, and decides to remodel a motel room into a love nest.—
Jennifer Wilson,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
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Everything will then be sold – unless he’s stumbled across a famous ball.—
Don Riddell,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Among the federal lawsuits fighting to continue the program, a hearing is scheduled Monday in federal court in northern California on a motion to speed up the sharing of evidence.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
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Earlier in the day, President Trump rejected reports that advisor Elon Musk would be briefed on how the U.S. would fight a hypothetical war with China.—
Tara Copp,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The 65-year-old Augustinian friar and his three fellow monks, who have dedicated their lives to silent prayer inside Florence’s Santo Spirito monastery, are preparing to go into battle over plans to open a luxury retirement home on the site.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
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With competition intensifying, technology rapidly accelerating, and the battle for top talent fiercer than ever, leaders' reservoirs of resilience will continually be challenged from all angles.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Kiki Platform Mary Jane Few shoes have stomped their way into the fashion lexicon quite as rapidly as Marc Jacobs’s Kiki platforms.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2025
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Witnesses on the flight told authorities Augustin was stomping, yelling, shaking and being incoherent, the document continued.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA TODAY,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffle. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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