scuffling

verb

present participle of scuffle
1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily she scuffled along in shoes that were much too large for her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrestling
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 scuffling Videos showed youths running through the event and scuffling with police before officers shooed attendees away. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026 The Padres played a seesaw game Saturday night before claiming an 8-7 win against the scuffling Blue Jays. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 13 July 2026 Nick Kurtz hit two homers and drove in five runs, Jeff McNeil also went deep and knocked in four, and the Athletics beat the scuffling Pittsburgh Pirates 11-2 on Monday night. — ABC News, 16 June 2026 But with Chris Sale failing to get run support and Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes scuffling a bit, the outlook’s a little dicey all around. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 15 June 2026 The second-place White Sox (35-31) moved within a half-game of scuffling Cleveland atop the AL Central. — CBS News, 10 June 2026 But Ramírez isn’t expected to inject life into a scuffling Cubs offense. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffling
  1. shuffling
  2. wrestling
  3. stomping
  4. fighting
  5. stumbling
Verb
  • Burke piles fascinating shuffling sounds on top, invoking a quiet scuffle, maybe some cardboard boxes being knocked over in a storage space.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
  • The Chicago Cubs have been shuffling the lower levels of their organization ahead of the trade deadline, looking to recapture some strong momentum from the beginning of the season to help drive a playoff push in the second half.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • Much of the season finds Lestat wrestling with profound guilt, including over the death of their daughter, Claudia (played with harrowing grace by Delainey Hayles).
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • Haiken says his dealership will have to find new uses for some of its facilities — and other dealers are likely also wrestling with hard decisions.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 10 July 2026
Definition of wrestling
Verb
  • There was so much color, all these beautiful headdresses, and the male dancers were stomping their legs to mimic the drums.
    — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • The name Chelydra serpentina evokes colossal reptiles stomping through ancient forests.
    — Hannah Smith July 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026
Definition of stomping
Verb
  • Global oil prices have climbed sharply since the US and Iran resumed fighting over a week ago, imperiling peace talks.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Some Republican election officials take a stand Republican election officials in a handful of states are among those fighting the DOJ’s demands.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 18 July 2026
Definition of fighting
Verb
  • The huge animals knocked bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the two-and-a-half-minute run from the pen to the bull ring where bullfighters will kill the bulls later in the day.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • The huge animals knocked down bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the 2½-minute run from the pen to the bullring where bullfighters would kill the bulls later in the day.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of stumbling

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scuffles
scuffling
scuffs
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Cite this Entry

“Scuffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffling. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on scuffling

Nglish: Translation of scuffling for Spanish Speakers

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