as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
the police had to break up an affray that started between fans of the opposing teams
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Recent Examples of affray
Doyle, a former Royal Marine, pleaded guilty to charges including dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent as well as three counts of wounding with intent.
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Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Paul Doyle admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent, the BBC reports.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2025
The eight suspects range in age from 17 to 40, and the charges include rioting, committing an affray, trespassing and disorderly conduct.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
The two men were arrested on suspicion of affray and later released on bail, SWNS reported.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for affray
Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Paul Doyle admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent, the BBC reports.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2025
The eight suspects range in age from 17 to 40, and the charges include rioting, committing an affray, trespassing and disorderly conduct.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
The two men were arrested on suspicion of affray and later released on bail, SWNS reported.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for affray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affray
Noun
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Lueders eventually co-founded Few and the Proud, the band that would evolve into Convicted and finally Harm’s Way, transitioning from power violence toward brawl-ready hardcore punk, with various strands of metal thrown in from one album to the next.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
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Jarred Cavan died of his injuries after being stabbed during a brawl just outside Milpitas High School in Santa Clara County on Tuesday afternoon.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Brockton man charged after allegedly shooting at officers Jailson Andrade, 44, faces several charges after allegedly firing at Brockton Police officers during an altercation early Sunday morning, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affray. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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