as in fisticuffs
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Recent Examples of punch-up
Among them are Neeson as a Great Gatsby-esque type who puts Declan in the hospital after a punch-up and Cleese as a priest who also doubles as the Grim Reaper.
—
Alex Ritman, Variety, 11 May 2026
Two of the pilots are multi-camera shows, which are shot in front of a live audience and can benefit from the plethora of comedy writers who live in the area and serve as punch-up writers.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026
The vibe and verve are like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World meets Repo Man, but the material needed an extra punch-up at script stage.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
But comics depend on feedback – punch-ups from fellow comedians and reactions from audiences – iterating jokes in the same way lean startups may innovate new products.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2025
That said, the negative reputation surrounding the last lines in Jones’ thorny adaptation — a punch-up from Ellison’s original text that’s meaner and more sexist, no doubt — seems outsized.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
Often, when shows do crossovers, the writers on one will do punch-up for their characters on the other.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2025
Toward the end there’s a punch-up, with several players involved.
—David Szalay, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024
Of the new cast additions, only Ayoade is doing anything funny, but Xeni’s pretentious banter could have used a writerly punch-up from somebody like Richard Ayoade.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Alex Ritman, Variety, 11 May 2026
Two of the pilots are multi-camera shows, which are shot in front of a live audience and can benefit from the plethora of comedy writers who live in the area and serve as punch-up writers.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026
The vibe and verve are like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World meets Repo Man, but the material needed an extra punch-up at script stage.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
But comics depend on feedback – punch-ups from fellow comedians and reactions from audiences – iterating jokes in the same way lean startups may innovate new products.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2025
That said, the negative reputation surrounding the last lines in Jones’ thorny adaptation — a punch-up from Ellison’s original text that’s meaner and more sexist, no doubt — seems outsized.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
Often, when shows do crossovers, the writers on one will do punch-up for their characters on the other.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2025
Toward the end there’s a punch-up, with several players involved.
—David Szalay, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024
Of the new cast additions, only Ayoade is doing anything funny, but Xeni’s pretentious banter could have used a writerly punch-up from somebody like Richard Ayoade.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch-up
Noun
-
Dilliehunt and Bland were shot and killed during a fistfight on the 1600 block of 83rd Avenue in Oakland, which the surviving victims claim started with an argument over a parking spot.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
-
In Milan, Italy, a fistfight erupted.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The Yankees started their slugfest in style against the Rays, as Judge’s big fly traveled 429 feet to the batter’s eye at Steinbrenner Field.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jack Westover Notes: It’s been a slow, ugly slugfest among the backup tight ends to see who can win the No. 3 job.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Feminism was anti-gerontocratic, too, striking blows against old men and their old ways.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
The biggest blows came from Garcia and Starling Marte.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
For now, Meloni has avoided direct confrontation, a strategy seen as both calculation and a bet that Vannacci’s momentum may fade.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
-
During the confrontation, a person pulled out a gun and fired several shots, hitting two people, according to police.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Fans fought in the streets, heaved bottles, smashed windows and shouted filthy insults in the melee, which left nearly 50 people injured.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
-
Next weekend is shaping up to be a multi-front melee for the box office gold.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Most people aren’t focused on Advent calendars right now — those chocolates hidden under perforated punch-outs to celebrate each day of the season.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
-
During the portion of Thursday’s practice open to reporters, the Patriots practiced punch-out drills directly in front of reporters.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Cobb lives across the street from where the brawl happened.—
Brittney Ermon,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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Like all of the film’s most fist-pumping setpieces, of which there are several, the getaway brawl is a fevered array of different fighting styles that smash into each other like concrete blocks to create something faintly new.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The game began with an unusual pitcher's duel in this ballpark between rookie starters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
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One game turned grabbing the last slice of cake into a pistol duel of who could press the button at exactly the right time.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch-up. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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