1
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
the police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
police preparing for any fracas that might follow the soccer game
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fracas
What started as a war of words quickly evolved into a bench-clearing fracas.
—
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
Her willingness, the atmosphere of fracas, her feeling of doom, of having made the wrong decision, had propelled her under the trees.
—Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Sergio Busquets, who hit Vargas in the face during the fracas, and Tomas Aviles, who swung at Sounders players, both got bans and fines from the tournament but were not punished by MLS.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
In one clip of the fracas shared by NJ Spotlight News, McIver could be heard telling officers not to touch her or Watson Coleman as McIver appeared to cling to the elder congresswoman.
—Julia Mueller, The Hill, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fracas
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
Her willingness, the atmosphere of fracas, her feeling of doom, of having made the wrong decision, had propelled her under the trees.
—Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Sergio Busquets, who hit Vargas in the face during the fracas, and Tomas Aviles, who swung at Sounders players, both got bans and fines from the tournament but were not punished by MLS.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
In one clip of the fracas shared by NJ Spotlight News, McIver could be heard telling officers not to touch her or Watson Coleman as McIver appeared to cling to the elder congresswoman.
—Julia Mueller, The Hill, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fracas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fracas
Noun
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Amazon Prime commentator Kirk Herbstreit said as a guess at Rodgers' response to Jones, as footage of the sideline near-skirmish played for viewers.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
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The decision was the latest skirmish in a years-long political and legal wrangle over voting requirements for local tax increase proposals.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco was seen trying to hold Branch back while the brawl escalated, with several other players joining in.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The two had ignited a feud with a chaotic brawl on the October 10 broadcast, setting the stage for a major showdown.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Relations between the two economies had been cool since deadly border clashes in 2020.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
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In that sense, by hosting Muttaqi, Delhi may have deepened the growing rupture between Afghanistan and Pakistan that was on display during the recent border clashes.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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During the altercation, Lind drew a gun and fired off shots, killing Emma Borhanian, one of the Zizians.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Oct. 2025
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The investigation showed the incident began as a road rage event, initially a verbal altercation, involving the occupants of a pair of vehicles, the release states.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Lima, Peru Reuters — Peru’s President Jose Jeri declared on Tuesday a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and the neighboring province of Callao, saying the move was to battle rising crime.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
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Hubbard has a track record of moving the chains effectively, which was necessary in a game that was going to be mostly a defensive battle.—
Mike Kaye
October 21,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the Netflix adaptation, Pippa helps describe the fight against the Twits’ reign of mischief and terror, serving as a moral compass amid the chaos.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Resistance from African Leaders As youth protests grow stronger, African governments, particularly those that are military-led, are unlikely to surrender their positions without a fight.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The pair—who were both heavily intoxicated, the auction house says—wound up in a scuffle in which Lennon lost his glasses.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
13 Oct. 2025
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Perhaps as a sign of how badly each team wanted to win Sunday’s game, there was a scuffle when the game ended after Lions safety Brian Branch ignored a handshake attempt from Mahomes.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Prior to the dustups with NBCU and TelevisaUnivision, YouTube TV had nearly blacked out Paramount and Fox networks, reaching deals with both media companies after tensions spilled into public view.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
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And the headline bombshells continue in the who-did-what-when mortgage dustups.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fracas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fracas. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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