as in skirmishes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
the two players got into a scrimmage off the court and got suspended
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Recent Examples of scrimmages
Geekie said the lighthearted start to Tuesday’s practice, with all the players on the ice at once essentially playing two scrimmages, can help.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta and San Jacinto coach Aric Galliano are close friends and bring their programs together for scrimmages and passing competitions.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 28 Nov. 2025
According to Johnson, however, the standout guard has yet to return to team scrimmages ahead of Tuesday's showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers.
—Evan Bell, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
After taking care of Tarleton State and Texas in preseason scrimmages, the real season is almost here for TCU men’s basketball.
—Steven Johnson
october 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
These games, previously played as closed-door scrimmages without media, cheerleaders or fans, have often served as an inverse predictor of the coming season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Instead, the event featured dueling DJs, and both the women’s and men’s squads held traditional scrimmages.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
These two games replace closed scrimmages against DI foes and open-to-public exhibitions against lower-level schools.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
If Friday’s scrimmages were any indication, Christie seems to be leaning toward Saric and Eubanks.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta and San Jacinto coach Aric Galliano are close friends and bring their programs together for scrimmages and passing competitions.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 28 Nov. 2025
According to Johnson, however, the standout guard has yet to return to team scrimmages ahead of Tuesday's showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers.
—Evan Bell, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
After taking care of Tarleton State and Texas in preseason scrimmages, the real season is almost here for TCU men’s basketball.
—Steven Johnson
october 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
These games, previously played as closed-door scrimmages without media, cheerleaders or fans, have often served as an inverse predictor of the coming season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Instead, the event featured dueling DJs, and both the women’s and men’s squads held traditional scrimmages.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
These two games replace closed scrimmages against DI foes and open-to-public exhibitions against lower-level schools.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
If Friday’s scrimmages were any indication, Christie seems to be leaning toward Saric and Eubanks.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrimmages
Noun
-
And while his 11 years with the Yankees were often marked with verbal skirmishes with George Steinbrenner, in 1982 the Boss showed his respect for Nettles’ baseball acumen and quiet clubhouse leadership to name him the first Yankee captain since Thurman Munson’s death in 1979.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
These were not skirmishes but full-scale conflicts, usually costing tens—sometimes hundreds—of thousands of lives.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Subsequent border clashes with Cambodia allowed Anutin to recast himself as a wartime leader after his popularity initially slipped because of floods and financial scandals.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Their goal with the video was to push back against the president’s domestic troop deployments, a trend his critics feared might lead to clashes with ordinary Americans or be used to interfere in upcoming elections.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That set off a flurry of court briefs, legal fights and public protests calling for Torres’s release.—
Gregory Royal Pratt,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The dominant force in big tech has shifted from online censorship fights, which sharpened questions about platforms’ size and reach, to AI urgency, where the industry and the White House are more aligned.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While earlier phases of the Bay-Delta plan have already been litigated, much of the recent focus has been on lengthy negotiations and revisions to the plan, rather than on launching new courtroom battles.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The beef, which started in 1999, has spawned almost three decades of diss tracks and battles in real life and on social media.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrimmages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrimmages. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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