SKIRMISHES Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

skirmishes 1 of 2

noun

plural of skirmish

as in encounters

a brief clash between enemies or rivals the candidates' first debate was only a skirmish in a very long campaign

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in clashes

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

truces

skirmishes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of skirmish

as in brawls

Related Words

as in prospects

Related Words

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 skirmishes

Noun

Oasis’s Live ’25 was one of the biggest tours of the decade, marking the band’s first performances in 15 years after brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher’s intense skirmishes led to the band breaking up in 2009. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026 Asgari highlights these minor skirmishes through life itself (whether at its most verbose, or in complete silence) via minor aesthetic transformations which play in major keys, and prove deeply moving. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 Others speak of letting go and moving on, hinting at ideological skirmishes between nihilism and existentialism which aren’t quite allowed to emerge from beneath the film’s oppressive wordiness until late into its runtime. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026 Its outcome will be a major milestone in the decades-long political skirmishes over CEQA. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026 In 1988, for instance, Khomeini finally agreed to end his war with Iraq after the United States began engaging Iranian naval ships in direct skirmishes, leading him to fear that Reagan might formally align with Saddam Hussein’s regime. — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026 There were certainly more skirmishes between the Eagles offense and Patriots defense. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Players from the Cowboys and the Saints threw punches during several skirmishes throughout the joint practice, which was conducted in uncommonly hot, humid weather in the coastal town. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 But what stuck out more than the Giants’ toughness in those skirmishes was their football stamina. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for skirmishes

Noun

Spencer arrested three times in September The violent weekend followed a series of encounters between Spencer and law enforcement.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
This shooting is the latest in a series of violent encounters involving ICE agents.

— Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of encounters

Noun

Next year’s schedule avoids clashes with two other auto racing highlights, the Indianapolis 500 on May 30 and the Le Mans 24-hour race on June 12-13.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Two years ago, in the lead-up to one of these clashes, a reporter coaxed a smile out of then-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of clashes

Verb

Bringing in a new centre-back would mean Cancelo and Martin could be the first-team left-backs, supported by La Masia prospects Xavi Espart, 19, and Jordi Pesquer, 17.

— Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Included in the roster of G League and international talent are former Heat players Orlando Robinson and Cole Swider, as well as former Heat camp prospects DeJon Jareau and James Nunnally.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of prospects

Noun

These feats of inclusion are hard fought, and the Academy likes to award them (even when its membership likely includes people who made those fights hard in the first place).

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Many of the fights being waged here are still being waged today.

— Lucy Sante, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of fights

Verb

Pack in a picnic lunch from Ventura’s Harbor Cove Cafe, which boxes up sandwiches and snacks for visitors to the Channel Islands.

— Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026
Sometimes the pursuit of a cleaner interface boxes you into one that will not grow with the feature pathways that emerge.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of boxes

Verb

Set against the backdrop of political dishonesty and the country’s abandonment of ideals, the book probes questions about how to be an artist in the world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
In Sarah Pekkanen’s new thriller, The Women in White, a young health-care aide probes how four female participants in a 1964 parapsychology experiment suddenly vanished.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of probes

Noun

In 2019, Mary Max died by suicide two weeks after The New York Times published a story detailing legal battles over his work.

— BETH J. HARPAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Among the highest-profile battles was against USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, who had two catches on three targets for 28 yards when Moore was covering him.

— Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026