as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
several chairs were knocked over in the scuffle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
she scuffled along in shoes that were much too large for her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wrestle
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery
the burglar and the homeowner briefly scuffled together in the dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scuffle
ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Honorable mention goes to choosing Adin Hill over Logan Thompson, then watching Hill scuffle as Thompson turned into one of the best goalies in the league with Washington.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
Bryson Tiller had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Kansas, which handed the scuffling Cougars (23-5, 11-4) their third consecutive defeat — all against top-15 opponents.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Noun
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and the Oklahoma Thunder pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Washington Wizards 132-111 on Saturday night for their 11th straight win, a game during which four players were ejected following a scuffle in the first half.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Honorable mention goes to choosing Adin Hill over Logan Thompson, then watching Hill scuffle as Thompson turned into one of the best goalies in the league with Washington.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
After starting the year with 14 wins in their first 15 games, the Trojans have scuffled to end the year.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
Bryson Tiller had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Kansas, which handed the scuffling Cougars (23-5, 11-4) their third consecutive defeat — all against top-15 opponents.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffle
Noun
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And the Pakistani military has been engaged in cross-border skirmishes with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan for months.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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With billions of dollars at stake, the conflicts manifest in sharp skirmishes in the Legislature, in courts and in the ballot measure arena.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After the offense was shut out on four hits in Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss to the Angels, Counsell shuffled the lineup.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Instead, Meyerson was shuffled to three different ALFs in six months — from Hialeah to Kendall to Homestead.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Throughout, Iranians have been wrestling with widely mixed feelings over the war, the ruling theocracy and the future.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Like many websites, Wikipedia has wrestled with how to handle the paradigm shift in generative AI for online text content.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In Dallas, at least one person was detained after a clash with counter-protesters.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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The massive expansion of enforcement operations drew local resistance from activists, leading to clashes with federal agents and the deaths of residents Good and Pretti during confrontations with ICE and Border Patrol.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans stumbled off the mound in the first inning of Friday evening’s season opener at Truist Park.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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Bleeding heavily, Waaler stumbles into a corridor and slowly takes his last breath as Hole, who jumped out at the floor above and ran back downstairs, watches, gun in hand.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The underlying facts of the case are still to be ruled on, but the partial ruling on Friday was a big win for immigration advocates who had been fighting to shut down the controversial site.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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There have been dueling proposals ever since, with some fighting to keep the Bears in Chicago proper, others fighting to help the stadium get built in Arlington Heights, and recently Northwest Indiana jumping into the fray, proposing sites for a new Bears stadium in Gary and Hammond.—
Marissa Perlman,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Three months into faith leaders’ legal battle, they were allowed back inside the facility in February for Ash Wednesday after a court order granted limited access.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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In the midst of a restitution battle, records show that Kilpatrick is at risk of losing a home in Novi over more than $50,000 in unpaid property taxes.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stomped around here like rabid Goths wearing bearskin vests.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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At times, their set had the foot-stomping intensity of a tent revival.—
Joey Guerra,
Houston Chronicle,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffle. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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