as in public
freely available for use or participation by all
the public library has a free-for-all lending policy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
during the play-offs, fans of the opposing teams clashed in the streets in several free-for-alls
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in jumble
a state in which everything is out of order
it was a free-for-all when the doors to the arena opened and the crowd rushed in all at once
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of free-for-all
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
But 80 years on, performers and spectators alike say rising costs threaten the Fringe's free-for-all vibe.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
The mode uses a free-for-all scoring system, where the goal is to knock out as many Pokémon as possible, and whoever scores the most knockouts wins the match.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
In his rail-splitting young-lawyer days, Lincoln is said to have gone 300–1 in free-for-all wrestling matches against tough guys across the Midwest.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free-for-all
Noun
This ensemble dramedy follows a group of couples (among them, Perry, Janet Jackson, and Jill Scott) who adjourn to a country estate for what’s supposed to be a carefree weekend but instead devolves into a truth-telling free-for-all.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
But 80 years on, performers and spectators alike say rising costs threaten the Fringe's free-for-all vibe.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
The mode uses a free-for-all scoring system, where the goal is to knock out as many Pokémon as possible, and whoever scores the most knockouts wins the match.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
In his rail-splitting young-lawyer days, Lincoln is said to have gone 300–1 in free-for-all wrestling matches against tough guys across the Midwest.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free-for-all
Recent Examples of Synonyms for free-for-all
Adjective
-
Razer went public in 2017, listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange, before going private again in 2022.—
Lucy Handley,
CNBC,
1 Nov. 2025
-
The trio will also perform spacewalks and conduct public outreach activities, among other tasks.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Harvey was just 11 years old when that fight occurred, but her teammate and Team USA leader Hilary Knight was there, and involved in the brawl.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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The film followed Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), a mainland refugee trying to pay his way to a fake ID by winning bare-knuckle brawls.—
Marcus Lim,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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From fuzzy open-toe slip-ons to orthopedic slides with extra arch support, there’s an affordable gift in here for everyone.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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Now the wetlands, woods, wildflower meadows and river views, which are managed and protected by River Fields conservancy, are open for the public to enjoy from dawn to dusk.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Texas Tech started slow in Manhattan, but the dam eventually broke due to Tech’s havoc-wreaking defense.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The real reason is to wreak as much havoc as humanly possible, or at least that’s what we’re given to believe from the way the hostess swans about while deftly manipulating dozens of puppet strings simultaneously.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Spelman College put Scott's $20 million unrestricted donation to a variety of uses, a school spokesperson tells PEOPLE.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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All In Motion Active Light High-Rise Wide-Leg Pants Made from a blend of recycled polyester and spandex, the high-rise pants are lightweight and stretchy, providing unrestricted movement needed for travel.—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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On another note, this year’s astro-weather serves as the ultimate backdrop for creativity, chaos and unpredictable fun.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Following a few months of absolute chaos, as Nuno Espirito Santo talked himself out of a job and was replaced by Ange Postecoglou — a man with a footballing ethos that could not have been more different — Dyche is very much needed, as a steady hand on the tiller.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In my favorite works of his, like A Case for the Existence of God and A Bright New Boise—a play that has its own surreal dynamic with television screens, which play images of hell in the middle of a big-box store—Hunter locates an unnerving mysticism in between the atoms of the hyper-real.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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Starring alongside Rachel Weisz (playing twins Angela and Isabel Dodson), Reeves stars as John Constantine, a demonologist who sends evil spirits straight to hell while contending with Gabriel (Tilda Swinton) and Lucifer (Peter Stormare).—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Free-for-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free-for-all. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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