1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
she scuffled along in shoes that were much too large for her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scuffling
This was the year Kansas City lost its magic pixie dust … while ultimately scuffling to a 6-11 finish.
—
Jesse Newell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
At the other end, Boston’s scorers were scuffling.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
He was accused of scuffling with police during a Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills playoff game in January 2021.
—Emma Butts, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
Entering their game against the New Jersey Devils at Ball Arena, the Avs’ power play had been scuffling.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
Addison Barger, who'd been scuffling in August, played the role of late-game hero.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
After a strong 10-game homestand last week at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals were scuffling against a pair of American League Central rivals.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025
Jesse Newell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
At the other end, Boston’s scorers were scuffling.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
He was accused of scuffling with police during a Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills playoff game in January 2021.
—Emma Butts, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
Entering their game against the New Jersey Devils at Ball Arena, the Avs’ power play had been scuffling.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
Addison Barger, who'd been scuffling in August, played the role of late-game hero.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
After a strong 10-game homestand last week at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals were scuffling against a pair of American League Central rivals.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffling
Verb
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So, if the Phillies were to target Bichette, there would be some sort of shuffling in the infield.—
Patrick McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
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In 2022, Kelsey pleaded guilty to illegally shuffling money from his state Senate campaign account to his federal congressional campaign account.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Davie’s successor will inherit an organization wrestling with its place in a media ecosystem dominated by overseas tech giants, as well as battling enemies closer to home, with conservative politicians and media proprietors wishing to see the BBC diminished during charter renewal.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Having trouble wrestling your little one into the bath?—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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But only the faithful know everything about the Mushroom Kingdom’s shell-stomping messiah.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Barton gave the jury the impression of a man prepared to go into daily combat on numerous fronts, constantly fighting one battle after another, in service of his principles.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The Justice Department under him was not really interested in fighting crime.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Packers are stumbling coming into the playoff with four straight losses, two of them via absolute giveaways.—
Hank Gola,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Government agencies and businesses that invest in this training, and that insist every critical number survives a deterministic check, will capture AI's benefits without stumbling into its blind spots.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffling. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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