as in skirmishes
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 shuffles
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 wrestles
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of scuffles
Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
This helps keep the smaller canines safe and avoids potential scuffles.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
But if Boston scuffles after also losing Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Luke Kornet this offseason, Stevens and head coach Joe Mazzulla could be more inclined to keep Tatum sidelined until next season.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
The coin’s creators have run across the field at Los Angeles Dodgers games and gotten into scuffles with famous gym creators, all as a means of hyping up their coin.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2025
Police got involved to draw counter-protestors away after scuffles with protestors.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Dozens of protesters were arrested and there were some scuffles with police.
—Stephane Mahe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Last month, video surfaced of similar scuffles outside the court.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025
And then there are return volleys about the hypocrisy of expecting fights or scuffles to create urgency when players have been ostracized in the past for picking fights and scuffles.
—Nick Suss, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Capitol hallways have become an endless series of partisan scrums and press conferences where the two sides play the blame game, occasionally to each others’ faces on camera in impromptu scuffles.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffles
Noun
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Hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes in both countries when border skirmishes broke out for the second time this year.—
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For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border – a dispute that has occasionally exploded into skirmishes and fighting.—
Verb
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That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
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In front of me, as various motors rev up to speed, the robot shuffles in place, looking like an arthritic boxer readying for a fight.—
Verb
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This season, silence is louder than words, loyalties are tested, and as each woman wrestles with the past, not everyone will make it to the other side the same.—
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The police officer then wrestles Newman to the ground, and no shots are fired.—
Noun
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Since Assad’s ousting, Syria has seen flare-ups of deadly sectarian violence, with clashes erupting between security forces and those loyal to the former president, including in Syria’s coastal Latakia region in March.—
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As for South Sudan, a senior United Nations official said earlier this week that the ongoing conflict in Sudan is causing destabilization in South Sudan, including armed clashes and food insecurity.—
Verb
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The sequel, which has the Ghostbusters facing off with the spirit of Vigo the Carpathian and his profoundly negative vibes, ends in a joyous celebration that brings the Big Apple together while an animated Statue of Liberty stomps to the rescue.—
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The guy just f****** stomps right on my face.—
Verb
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Eleven finds her way to them, jumping inside the Mind Flayer to destroy Vecna, who’s controlling it from within, while Will fights telepathically from the outside, no longer empathetic or afraid to go toe to toe with his former saboteur.—
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Ucg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Novo Nordisk’s shift from a market darling to a serious underperformer has set the stage for a transitional 2026 as the Danish drugmaker fights to regain investor confidence in its weight loss business.—
Noun
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The facility, which is surrounded by the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve, also has led to separate legal battles in federal court.—
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Soon the scene devolved into individual battles between officers and rioters.—
Verb
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Ennin gets up and stumbles down the block before collapsing next to a building.—
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There’s a fine line between righteousness and self-satisfaction, and the second season, which premieres on HBO Max on January 8, frequently stumbles into the latter territory.—
Cite this Entry
“Scuffles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffles. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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