skirmish 1 of 2

noun

ˈskər-mish How to pronounce skirmish (audio)
Definition of skirmishnext
1
as in encounter
a brief clash between enemies or rivals the candidates' first debate was only a skirmish in a very long campaign

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2
as in clash
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups throughout the week of the convention, police engaged in skirmishes with some of the demonstrators

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

skirmish

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to brawl

Related Words
2
as in to prospect

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Dissimilar 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 skirmish
Noun
What that fourth-inning strikeout, the following exchange of beliefs and subsequent skirmish produced, then, was fittingly a form of presence. — Noah White, Washington Post, 1 July 2026 Johnson brushes off the skirmishes, broadly speaking, as part of the governing process. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026 While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton. — Gabriel Sama, Mercury News, 21 June 2026 One of those skirmishes, in fact, involved Childress himself, in 2011 at Kansas Speedway, when the then-65-year-old car owner for an opposing team got into a physical altercation with Busch after an on-track incident. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 6 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for skirmish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skirmish
  1. encounter
  2. clash
  3. brawl
  4. prospect
  5. battle
  6. probe
  7. fight
  8. explore
Noun
  • The bird remains mostly still during the encounter aside from leaning toward the mask.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
  • First Amendment concerns The encounter mirrors concerns raised by press freedom advocates before the law was enacted.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
Definition of encounter
Noun
  • The potential path is long and demanding, starting with the visit of Pyunik on Wednesday evening for a first qualifying round clash that will see the winners take on either Northern Ireland’s Glentoran or Latvian side Riga.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • As part of these clashes, Israel twice launched significant air strikes on Iran—the second time ravaging Iran’s air defenses.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of clash
Verb
  • After the match, Nightingale and Thekla brawled in the ring while Divine Dominion attacked Hart and Skye Blue.
    — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • English soccer fans have earned a reputation for violent hooliganism, hurling plastic chairs and brawling their way across the piazzas and boulevards of Europe.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Definition of brawl
Verb
  • In June, the Blues acquired the 25-year-old along with a first-round pick and prospect Milton Gastrin from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Jordan Kyrou.
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • Northern Nigeria boasts commercial-grade lithium deposits that have attracted investment interest from global firms prospecting for green energy minerals.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of prospect
Noun
  • The war’s new weapon What began as a ground war has evolved into a battle increasingly fought from the air.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The battle harks back to the January 2025 Eaton fire which spread toxic ash over swaths of Altadena and Pasadena.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of battle
Verb
  • The man who was convicted of trying to kill Salman Rushdie is going on trial again, this time in a federal terrorism case that is probing deeper into what allegedly motivated the stabbing on a lecture stage in 2022.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • Simulated traffic is populated by AI drivers trained through reinforcement learning to be deliberately difficult, cutting off the test vehicle to probe its weaknesses.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of probe
Noun
  • Styles make fights Firstly, this will be a clash of two very opposing styles.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • The California State Fair and Embarc’s team are honoring the activists who were on the front line of the fight throughout the festival’s run this year.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 19 July 2026
Definition of fight
Verb
  • And teams in need of infield help could explore both players.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • Friday morning might not be the time to explore El Pollo Loco.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 22 July 2026
Definition of explore

Phrases Containing skirmish

Browse Nearby Words

skips (out)
skirmish
skirmished
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Cite this Entry

“Skirmish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skirmish. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on skirmish

Nglish: Translation of skirmish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about skirmish

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