1
as in clashes
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
they were thrown out of the party after starting a brawl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in altercations
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the student drama society's decision to put on the controversial play prompted a brawl at the school board meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in noises
loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound
we could hear the brawl of the river rapids ahead of us before we could actually see them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fights
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the Wilsons were always loudly brawling, and the neighbors were always shutting their windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of brawls
Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
The beach takeovers typically include brawls and underage drinking.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026
Bond's relative lack of experience and finesse also feeds into the chaos of all-out brawls.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026
Roma won the derby against Lazio 2-0, but there were brawls between the players after each of the goals.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
That kicked off 240-character brawls with other scientists who insisted that flu posed a greater risk than COVID-19.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Viral videos of onboard brawls contributed to the airline’s notoriety.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Malema heads the Economic Freedom Fighters, which advocates for the expropriation of mines, banks and land, and is notorious for starting brawls in parliament.
—Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026
Other brewhouse brawls happen at Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa (Havoc And Haze) and Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach (Rooted In Chaos), often drawing 300 to 500 visitors, CCW co-owner Dan Ackerman says.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Kennywood, a nearly 130-year-old amusement park outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is tightening its summer chaperon policy as parks around the country experience violent brawls and unruly teen crowds heading into the heart of the season.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
The beach takeovers typically include brawls and underage drinking.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026
Bond's relative lack of experience and finesse also feeds into the chaos of all-out brawls.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026
Roma won the derby against Lazio 2-0, but there were brawls between the players after each of the goals.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
That kicked off 240-character brawls with other scientists who insisted that flu posed a greater risk than COVID-19.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Viral videos of onboard brawls contributed to the airline’s notoriety.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Malema heads the Economic Freedom Fighters, which advocates for the expropriation of mines, banks and land, and is notorious for starting brawls in parliament.
—Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026
Other brewhouse brawls happen at Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa (Havoc And Haze) and Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach (Rooted In Chaos), often drawing 300 to 500 visitors, CCW co-owner Dan Ackerman says.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
As the man brawls with his in-laws, the boy is caught between two worlds, of male rage and female subjection.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawls
Noun
-
The clashes continued even after police ordered the demonstrators to disperse.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
In the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, violence drove displacements to record levels following the armed clashes in Cite Soleil in March and again in May.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Over the last few months, Taylor has been embroiled in a series of legal battles with Mortensen, first beginning in February with a pair of investigations by Utah police departments into allegations each made that the other acted violently during altercations that month.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
-
Durso alleged that Valle was upset after the previous altercations and lost his cool when his friend’s vehicle was damaged by the crowd of youths who rocked and shook the vehicle Valle and his friends arrived in.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
During a walk-through for reporters on Thursday, construction noises — particularly sanding and hammering — could be heard.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
The horses in the unit have been training for the assignment by being exposed to loud noises including fireworks, as well as flares and smoke bombs.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
In this approach, a patient’s T cells – a type of immune cell that fights pathogens and cancer – are removed and genetically engineered to better recognize cancer before being returned to the body.—
Charles J. Dimitroff,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
-
For the game’s first teaser trailer and look into the gameplay during today’s Nintendo Direct, Sora fights a Darkside Heartless in Quadratum, a land introduced in KH3 that’s inspired by Shibuya, Tokyo.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Continue reading … — Two arrested as skirmishes erupt outside courthouse after Karmelo Anthony verdict.—
,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
One of those skirmishes, in fact, involved Childress himself, in 2011 at Kansas Speedway, when the then-65-year-old car owner for an opposing team got into a physical altercation with Busch after an on-track incident.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Rounding out the top five names were seven write-in votes for the Sacramento Capitals or Capitols — which could be nicknamed the Caps to avoid quarrels over the spelling — and six votes for the Sacramento Stingers or Sting, referencing the collegiate Sacramento State Hornets.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
-
In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Fellow attacker Akram Afif fell to his knees in both joy and disbelief after the final whistle blew, taking in the roars coming from his countrymen who had made the long trip to the United States.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
Grant Park also won’t hear the roars of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race, a two-day extravaganza, now on a one-year hiatus, that filled the lakefront and downtown hotels in 2025.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
The pope, played by Samora la Perdida, is a mincing oaf who bickers with Galas about the value of translating Wagner.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawls. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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