1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
she scuffled along in shoes that were much too large for her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrestling
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 scuffling
Videos showed youths running through the event and scuffling with police before officers shooed attendees away.
—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Nick Kurtz hit two homers and drove in five runs, Jeff McNeil also went deep and knocked in four, and the Athletics beat the scuffling Pittsburgh Pirates 11-2 on Monday night.
—
ABC News,
16 June 2026
But with Chris Sale failing to get run support and Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes scuffling a bit, the outlook’s a little dicey all around.
—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
The second-place White Sox (35-31) moved within a half-game of scuffling Cleveland atop the AL Central.
—
CBS News,
10 June 2026
And with his Tigers scuffling and the whole sport closely monitoring Skubal’s progress, this uncharted territory is equal parts riveting and consequential.
—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
But Ramírez isn’t expected to inject life into a scuffling Cubs offense.
—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Los Angeles ultimately regrouped in plenty of time to win its second straight World Series, but the Dodgers are again proving fallible at a time when the Padres are scuffling.
—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Nick Kurtz hit two homers and drove in five runs, Jeff McNeil also went deep and knocked in four, and the Athletics beat the scuffling Pittsburgh Pirates 11-2 on Monday night.
—
ABC News,
16 June 2026
But with Chris Sale failing to get run support and Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes scuffling a bit, the outlook’s a little dicey all around.
—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
The second-place White Sox (35-31) moved within a half-game of scuffling Cleveland atop the AL Central.
—
CBS News,
10 June 2026
And with his Tigers scuffling and the whole sport closely monitoring Skubal’s progress, this uncharted territory is equal parts riveting and consequential.
—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
But Ramírez isn’t expected to inject life into a scuffling Cubs offense.
—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Los Angeles ultimately regrouped in plenty of time to win its second straight World Series, but the Dodgers are again proving fallible at a time when the Padres are scuffling.
—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffling
Verb
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Enola dutifully trudges between clues and possibilities, shuffling through crime scenes and racing around shady spaces, all of this much more paint-by-numbers than connect-the-dots.
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Colombia is trying its luck from distance, but Costa has been equal to each shot, first punching away Jefferson Lerma's rocket from the right, about 25 yards out, and then shuffling his feet to his left and catching Jhon Arias's shot from about the same distance.
Verb
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Wallace ended up wrestling the gun back from the officer, police said, at which point the officer shot Wallace, police said at the time.
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Growth comes from wrestling with uncertainty long enough to form your own conclusions.
Verb
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The name Chelydra serpentina evokes colossal reptiles stomping through ancient forests.
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That feeling solidified during their solo date, which included stomping grapes, exploring a winery and making a promise to open a special bottle of wine together one year later.
Verb
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Then some classic fighting soldiers — not American Revolution battles but intergalactic — come blended into the metal music gyrations of the helmet-wearing band Galactic Empire.
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As with fighting the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, the urgency of the problem will likely only sink in when the need arises.
Verb
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also fallen foul of Germany’s World Cup elimination by Paraguay, after stumbling into a social media debacle following a communications blunder.
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There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
Cite this Entry
“Scuffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffling. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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