1
as in clash
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
they were thrown out of the party after starting a brawl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in altercation
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the student drama society's decision to put on the controversial play prompted a brawl at the school board meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in roar
loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound
we could hear the brawl of the river rapids ahead of us before we could actually see them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the Wilsons were always loudly brawling, and the neighbors were always shutting their windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 brawl
Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024
So don’t be the jive turkey that launches a political brawl.
—Mike Vogel, Sun Sentinel, 26 Nov. 2024
Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Not for brawling with Deion Sanders at the 20-yard line of the Georgia Dome.
—Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for brawl 
Noun
Heading into the current Congress, Republicans have sought to grease the skids a little bit more to try to avoid such public brawls from happening in the future.
—Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024
So don’t be the jive turkey that launches a political brawl.
—Mike Vogel, Sun Sentinel, 26 Nov. 2024
Verb
In a heated encounter in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Owens attacked Orton with a steel chair pre-match, and the two former world champions brawled at ringside and into the crowd, with Orton even hitting Raw General Manager Adam Pearce with a vicious RKO.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Not for brawling with Deion Sanders at the 20-yard line of the Georgia Dome.
—Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for brawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawl
Noun
-
Zurab Japaridze, a leader of the opposition Coalition for Change party in Georgia's parliament, was briefly arrested on Monday amid a clash between police and fleeing protesters.Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024
-
Public transportation was also diverted from the main Aleppo-Damascus highway to avoid clashes, the report said.Sarah el Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Anger boiled over in February, when local media reported police responded to a physical altercation between locals and Haitians in which two people were injured.Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024
-
Since then, reports of shopper brawls in parking lots and physical altercations in store aisles have only increased.Dr. Mara Einstein, Deadline, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
But for a few hours a day, the 4-month-old pygmy hippo springs to life, gumming on leaves, zooming around the compound and tossing her head in a silent, open-mouthed roar.Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024
-
The roars that greet Ohio State’s three-and-out to start the game double as an enormous exhale.Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
On a scene-to-scene level, Mr. Turner is packed full of delightful dialogue and wonderful scenes of 19th-century painters bickering and arguing, though its undercurrent is one of unstoppable modernity.Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
-
Sanders bickered with a reporter who asked about his plans for the rain.Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 28 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
High predicted that on December 3, visible contention between humans and aliens would begin, eventually ending in melee after an unspecified period.Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
-
Following a questionable call by a referee on the field, fans threw stones, rushed the pitch, and some were crushed in the process, while others tried to escape the melee by jumping a high fence, according to the Associated Press.Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
As the anemic number reflects, businesses were weighed down by Hurricanes Milton and Helene as well as labor disputes such as the Boeing machinists strike.Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2024
-
And, after that happened, in both cases there was a dispute between the soldier who captured the king and his direct commander over who deserved the glory for the victory.Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Posey had a talent for cutting through the noise during his career behind the plate, tackling problems head-on, carving a direct path and avoiding the trap of overthinking.Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic, 8 Dec. 2024
-
Everyone is dealing with information overload, and the most effective way to cut through the noise is through personal relationships.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Features like the double guest cabins (one on the main deck and a second on the upper deck) mean that the yacht is well-arranged for large groups and no one has to fight over who gets the smaller cabin.Katia Damborsky, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
-
In recent weeks, while fighting abated on one front after Israel reached a ceasefire with Hamas’ Lebanese ally Hezbollah, members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, including his justice and police ministers, have clashed with the judiciary.Reuters, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near brawl
Cite this Entry
“Brawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawl. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share