as in skirmishes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
several chairs were knocked over in the scuffle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
24 June 2026
There are videos documenting scuffles and violence, which threatens to complicate Albania’s scheduled 2030 entry into the European Union.
—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
And the United States and Iran had a series of scuffles last week that saw the Islamic Republic fire on American Navy vessels and the United States bomb Iranian ports.
—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Tens of thousands of people joined marches across the country, including in Paris, where brief scuffles with police broke out.
—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
The extra time from the delay and the legal scuffles gave the team time to get the game ready.
—
Jay Peters,
The Verge,
30 Apr. 2026
The impasse apparently led to a couple of scuffles, including one at a barbershop where Carter was nearly stabbed until one of the men cutting hair intervened.
—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
There were 12 roughing penalties in the game — six against each team — and plenty of other scuffles involving multiple players.
—
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Luka Garza, who’s played well in most of his appearances since late December, is another viable option if Vucevic scuffles, or if Mazzulla opts to play three bigs.
—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
Lalas’ apparent delight in courting the enmity of the American viewing public also extends to his co-hosts—so much so that his early verbal scuffles with Zlatan Ibrahimović have gone more viral than whooping cough.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
24 June 2026
There are videos documenting scuffles and violence, which threatens to complicate Albania’s scheduled 2030 entry into the European Union.
—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
And the United States and Iran had a series of scuffles last week that saw the Islamic Republic fire on American Navy vessels and the United States bomb Iranian ports.
—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Tens of thousands of people joined marches across the country, including in Paris, where brief scuffles with police broke out.
—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
The extra time from the delay and the legal scuffles gave the team time to get the game ready.
—
Jay Peters,
The Verge,
30 Apr. 2026
The impasse apparently led to a couple of scuffles, including one at a barbershop where Carter was nearly stabbed until one of the men cutting hair intervened.
—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
There were 12 roughing penalties in the game — six against each team — and plenty of other scuffles involving multiple players.
—
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Luka Garza, who’s played well in most of his appearances since late December, is another viable option if Vucevic scuffles, or if Mazzulla opts to play three bigs.
—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffles
Noun
-
Johnson brushes off the skirmishes, broadly speaking, as part of the governing process.
-
While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton.
Verb
-
At the sound of morning prayers, an older Clarissa awakens from this dream and shuffles out to her lawn, where the leafy bush has been replaced with the industrial skyline of Lagos.
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.
Verb
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Francis also wrestles occasionally for Boca Raton Championship Wrestling in South Florida and competed prior for Coastal Championship Wrestling in South and Central Florida.
-
The officer then wrestles the woman to the ground.
Noun
-
But occasionally there can be personality clashes or people who other people on the trip find annoying.
-
Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long seen clashes between security forces, insurgents and drug smugglers.
Verb
-
If anything, the dichotomy between the pop star who prances around Versailles in a sheer nightie and the pop star who stomps onstage in knee-high combat boots feels completely authentic and intentional.
-
Suddenly, the trees part and a Tyrannosaurus rex stomps into view.
Verb
-
Agamemnon is the commander of the Greek army that fights the Trojan War for the recovery of Menelaus’s wife, Helen.
-
What fights an itch depends on its cause and there's a need for better treatments.
Noun
-
On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the action in Ukraine to receive a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka after weeks of intense street battles.
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Legal battles can discourage farmers Mora said the years-long litigation has left him feeling frustrated and defenseless.
Verb
-
In it, the man stumbles around, blinded by the sun, surrounded by insensible tourists.
-
The conversation stumbles on for a few moments, but Crook can’t find the words.
Cite this Entry
“Scuffles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffles. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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