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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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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,
27 June 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
And with his Tigers scuffling and the whole sport closely monitoring Skubal’s progress, this uncharted territory is equal parts riveting and consequential.
—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
But Ramírez isn’t expected to inject life into a scuffling Cubs offense.
—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Los Angeles ultimately regrouped in plenty of time to win its second straight World Series, but the Dodgers are again proving fallible at a time when the Padres are scuffling.
—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 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
And with his Tigers scuffling and the whole sport closely monitoring Skubal’s progress, this uncharted territory is equal parts riveting and consequential.
—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
But Ramírez isn’t expected to inject life into a scuffling Cubs offense.
—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Los Angeles ultimately regrouped in plenty of time to win its second straight World Series, but the Dodgers are again proving fallible at a time when the Padres are scuffling.
—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffling
Verb
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In an era of digital overwhelm and social isolation, gathering around a table, shuffling tiles and building order out of chaos together feels like exactly what people are reaching for right now.
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The model of shuffling that the new result depends on, like Bayer and Diaconis’ before it, still assumes that the cards riffle down one by one, rather than in clumps.
Verb
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While struggling at home, Starmer has earned praise for his response to global conflicts, sometimes appearing more at home at international summits than when wrestling with the details of domestic policy.
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After granting his request to aid his cause, Sharako insists that the uptight Lannister prove his worth by wrestling her in a mud pit.
Verb
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That feeling solidified during their solo date, which included stomping grapes, exploring a winery and making a promise to open a special bottle of wine together one year later.
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In the grainy video, an individual is seen appearing to throw a woman to the ground in the North Philadelphia alley and then hitting her repeatedly in the head with a brick, kicking her, and stomping her face, WPVI reported.
Verb
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Then some classic fighting soldiers — not American Revolution battles but intergalactic — come blended into the metal music gyrations of the helmet-wearing band Galactic Empire.
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As with fighting the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, the urgency of the problem will likely only sink in when the need arises.
Verb
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Gane finished off Pereira in the second round to win the title on Sunday after sending him stumbling with a right jab followed by a hammer fist.
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But stumbling into a town with a visual landscape that still shows Guedes' thumbprint was a delight.
Cite this Entry
“Scuffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffling. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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