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
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2025
The Celtics’ regulars then scuffled through the final 12 minutes, keeping the Bulls at arm’s length but not delivering any sort of authoritative knockout blow.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Roe was forced outside then re-entered and again scuffled with police and blocked them from moving the rioters out.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 2025
The Capitals have scuffled a bit since a 21-6-2 start, winning only seven of their last 14 games entering Tuesday’s tilt against Anaheim.
—James Mirtle, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Verb
Hefner is quickly building a reputation as a coach who can help transform scuffling back-end starters into frontline rotation options, and the Mets are hoping Montas can benefit from his coaching.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2025
The Celtics’ regulars then scuffled through the final 12 minutes, keeping the Bulls at arm’s length but not delivering any sort of authoritative knockout blow.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Roe was forced outside then re-entered and again scuffled with police and blocked them from moving the rioters out.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 2025
The Capitals have scuffled a bit since a 21-6-2 start, winning only seven of their last 14 games entering Tuesday’s tilt against Anaheim.
—James Mirtle, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffle
Noun
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The clashes are a sign of growing tensions at the Lebanon-Syria border, northeast of the Beqaa valley, where predominantly Shiite Lebanese villages have seen skirmishes with Syrian soldiers in recent weeks.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
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After his skirmish with Diarra, Neal waved his arms to fire up Creighton fans in the sellout crowd.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But experts encourage borrowers to take at least one step to protect themselves while personnel and programs at ED get shuffled around or canceled: keep a record.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2025
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In addition, the person said the department is expected to shuffle around senior career officials who are part of the Senior Executive Service.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Retail Media’s Measurement Challenges The retail media industry has wrestled with measurement standardization since its inception, with brands often frustrated by inconsistent approaches across different retailers.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Over his nearly 32-year career, Homicide wrestled for nearly every major promotion, with the notable exception of WWE.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Duke won 76-65 on the road in Louisville in the only regular-season clash between these teams.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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Read more: • Schumer clashes with liberal colleagues over House GOP funding bill.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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With Pochettino watching from the sidelines, the national team stumbled through its second lifeless loss in four days Sunday, falling to Canada 2-1 in the third place game of the CONCACAF Nations League before a tiny, mostly quiet crowd at SoFi Stadium.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2025
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Warning: Spoilers ahead for Severance Ever since Helly and Mark stumbled upon a room filled with goats in Season 1 of Severance, fans have been wondering why Lumon is raising these animals in their walls.—
Eliana Dockterman,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Earlier in the day, President Trump rejected reports that advisor Elon Musk would be briefed on how the U.S. would fight a hypothetical war with China.—
Tara Copp,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2025
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After the Woodley fight was canceled, Edwards wanted to fight Jorge Masvidal, someone ranked ahead of him or for the UFC welterweight crown.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The 65-year-old Augustinian friar and his three fellow monks, who have dedicated their lives to silent prayer inside Florence’s Santo Spirito monastery, are preparing to go into battle over plans to open a luxury retirement home on the site.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
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Claude can also integrate multiple pieces of similar knowledge into pretty elegant battle strategies, even extending those strategies into long-term plans for catching and managing teams of multiple creatures for future battles.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Kiki Platform Mary Jane Few shoes have stomped their way into the fashion lexicon quite as rapidly as Marc Jacobs’s Kiki platforms.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2025
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Witnesses on the flight told authorities Augustin was stomping, yelling, shaking and being incoherent, the document continued.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA TODAY,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffle. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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