as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
several chairs were knocked over in the scuffle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
she scuffled along in shoes that were much too large for her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wrestle
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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of scuffle
Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024
Protesters gathered and blocked roads in several other spots across the country, and Israeli TV stations showed images of police scuffling with protesters.
—Josef Federman, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Nov. 2024
That theft charge was later dropped Within seconds of arrival, an officer grabbed McAlpin, who is deaf and has cerebral palsy, and the men scuffled.
—Emily Palmer, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Protesters also arrived at the legislature, where some scuffled with security forces.
—Stella Kim, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scuffle 
Verb
Ohio State Buckeyes players scuffle with Michigan Wolverines players on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024
Protesters gathered and blocked roads in several other spots across the country, and Israeli TV stations showed images of police scuffling with protesters.
—Josef Federman, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Nov. 2024
That theft charge was later dropped Within seconds of arrival, an officer grabbed McAlpin, who is deaf and has cerebral palsy, and the men scuffled.
—Emily Palmer, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Protesters also arrived at the legislature, where some scuffled with security forces.
—Stella Kim, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scuffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffle
Noun
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The ugly scene on a suburban street was a harbinger of skirmishes to come.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Jan. 2025
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Houston teammates then ran in to defend their teammate, as well, leading to a skirmish that spilled out of bounds while Lawrence remained on the turf, still on his back, as medical personnel tended to him.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC News,
1 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As he’s been awaiting trial in Charlotte since his arrest in 2012 on a first-degree murder charge, Perkins has been shuffled between the Mecklenburg County jail, Broughton Hospital, Central Prison, and Central Regional Hospital dozens of times.—
Kallie Cox,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Jan. 2025
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His defensive concentration — happy to shuffle players out wide and contain them in one-v-one duels — makes Reis an interesting potential option as a right-back for Guardiola, who often opts for four centre-backs across the defence.—
Thom Harris,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Incoming Trump officials are now wrestling with the logistics — to say nothing of the financial burden — of rounding up and removing that population size.—
Christopher White,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2025
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City and state transportation planners have been wrestling with how to contain traffic, looking to public transit and densification — by encouraging more housing concentrated around bus and train hubs — so that workers don’t have to drive as much.—
Bruce Finley,
The Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Venus and Jupiter’s clash facilitates temporary compromises.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
14 Jan. 2025
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Israel’s populist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has largely avoided public clashes with the Israel Defense Force’s leadership, but politicians in his orbit have regularly attacked top officers as elites bent on subverting the will of the people.—
Ronald R. Krebs,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Thomas watches as a naked virgin rides a horse, which is meant to stumble upon reaching the grave of a vampire.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
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The Packers stumbled down the stretch, losing three of five, including two in a row.—
Jeff Howe,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In addition to the Sunset Fire, crews are fighting to contain the rapidly spreading Palisades and Eaton fires, as well as the Hurst, Lidia and Woodley blazes.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
9 Jan. 2025
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Trump fought against their release until 2021, when the Supreme Court rejected his subsequent efforts to shield the financial records from prosecutors.—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Osbourne didn't share much about her treatment, but this update comes on the heels of her recent battle with a high fever over the holidays.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
9 Jan. 2025
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For the past two and a half years, the battle for the future of L.A.’s Fairfax Avenue corridor has been raging between economic powerhouses.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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There's also the arrival of Shane's mother Kitty (Molly Shannon), who shows up to stomp all over the honeymoon his new bride Rachel is attempting to salvage.—
Griff Griffin,
Newsweek,
7 Jan. 2025
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Like Frankenstein’s monster and so many of the robots that keep stomping across our big and small screens, Norbot also seems to threaten the very life that it’s meant to help.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near scuffle
Cite this Entry
“Scuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffle. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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