fracas

noun

fra·​cas ˈfrā-kəs  ˈfra- 

British

ˈfra-ˌkä 

plural fracases ˈfrā-kə-səz 

ˈfra-

or British fracas ˈfra-ˌkäz 

: a noisy quarrel : brawl

a drunken fracas

Synonyms

• battle
• clash
• combat
• conflict
• contest
• dustup
• fight
• fray
• hassle
• scrap
• scrimmage
• scrum
• scuffle
• skirmish
• struggle
• tussle

Examples of fracas in a Sentence

the police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup

police preparing for any fracas that might follow the soccer game

Recent Examples on the Web

He got involved in a subway fracas that left a bad cop dead amid hints of police corruption. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025

Chief among them is the fracas over the film's lead, the Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025

Former Duke men’s basketball star Kyle Filipowski also got involved in a fracas with fans after the Blue Devils lost a game to Wake Forest. —Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2025

For those who have been blissfully able to avoid the whole fracas, Blake Lively‘s December complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, which then became the basis of a lawsuit, was the opening salvo in this uncivil war. —Peter Kiefer, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, din, row, from Italian fracasso, from fracassare to shatter

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fracas

noun

fra·​cas ˈfrā-kəs  ˈfrak-əs 

: a noisy quarrel or fight