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
Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
But the scuffle escalated when clips posted on social media showed Suárez arguing with a Sounders staff member before appearing to spit in his face.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025
Perplexity has also scuffled with some media organizations, with outlets like Forbes and Condé Nast accusing the company of using their content in AI news summaries without permission.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Noun
The match was played on August 31, and a scuffle broke out between both teams after the final whistle.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
But the scuffle escalated when clips posted on social media showed Suárez arguing with a Sounders staff member before appearing to spit in his face.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
After a strong 10-game homestand last week at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals were scuffling against a pair of American League Central rivals.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025
Perplexity has also scuffled with some media organizations, with outlets like Forbes and Condé Nast accusing the company of using their content in AI news summaries without permission.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffle
Noun
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Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Declining enrollment means the district may need to shuffle schools, students, or teachers to ensure each school is well attended, and the student-teacher ratios are well-balanced.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For an island whose economy has long wrestled with the effects and aftershocks of natural disasters, fiscal crises, and inconsistent tourism, this is a very significant boost.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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In addition to the strategic clarity for the Murdoch media empire, this deal resolved a potentially chaotic civil war that could have ensued if the siblings wrestled for control between themselves.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Those clashes became viral videos that cemented his reputation as a culture warrior.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
On November 25, the La Liga holders travel to Stamford Bridge for a mouthwatering clash with the reigning Club World Cup kings.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Inspired by true events, The Rip centers on a team of Miami police officers who stumble upon millions in cash during a raid of a stash house.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The Rise of Long-Horizon Capital Where VCs stumbled, others seized control.—
Sindhya Valloppillil,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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How do Flock cameras help fight crime?—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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These medications can lower the number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that helps fight bacterial infections.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When a person is gravely ill, they’re often forced to fight two battles, one against their sickness and the other against the insurance company.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Looking back at Charlotte’s recent FCS opponents, dating back to 2021, the 49ers haven’t won the turnover battle in any of the four matchups, resulting in uncomfortably close games and even a lopsided loss to William & Mary in 2022.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Most tourists don't come to Abu Dhabi to put on a thick coat and stomp around a snowy landscape but theme park fans are the exception.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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That certainly looked to be the case as the Indianapolis Colts stomped the Miami Dolphins 33-8 in the regular-season opener.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffle. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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