1
2
as in clashes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
throughout the week of the convention, police engaged in skirmishes with some of the demonstrators
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skirmishes
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
The tactics of federal immigration agents have come under intense scrutiny after the shooting of Good and growing skirmishes between federal officers and protesters.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 16 Jan. 2026
Whenever these sides meet, the individual skirmishes between Marc Cucurella and Bukayo Saka always seem to play a part.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
There have been skirmishes with Thiago’s distant relatives, the ones still living in isolation deep in the territory.
—Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes in both countries when border skirmishes broke out for the second time this year.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 Dec. 2025
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border – a dispute that has occasionally exploded into skirmishes and fighting.
—CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
This has been interpreted as a rapprochement between China and India after decades of border skirmishes and maritime friction.
—Hyeran Jo, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
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
The tactics of federal immigration agents have come under intense scrutiny after the shooting of Good and growing skirmishes between federal officers and protesters.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 16 Jan. 2026
Whenever these sides meet, the individual skirmishes between Marc Cucurella and Bukayo Saka always seem to play a part.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
There have been skirmishes with Thiago’s distant relatives, the ones still living in isolation deep in the territory.
—Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes in both countries when border skirmishes broke out for the second time this year.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 Dec. 2025
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border – a dispute that has occasionally exploded into skirmishes and fighting.
—CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
This has been interpreted as a rapprochement between China and India after decades of border skirmishes and maritime friction.
—Hyeran Jo, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skirmishes
Noun
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Those physical encounters, which SDFC’s players seemed to relish, likely added to Pumas’ attrition.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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One study of more than 1,100-plus patient encounters found that remote patient monitoring cut hospitalizations by nearly 60%.—
Paul Hudson,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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
Verb
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Alabama prospects with the most to gain 5.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
1 Jan. 2026
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Ahead of first pitch, Royals prospects David Shields and Carson Roccaforte were among those dressed in luxury suits to receive their organizational awards.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Verb
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Toe tap on the sideline for 17, then boxes out Greg Newsome for 14 more.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Dec. 2025
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This, alas, also boxes his constituents in.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The testimony comes as the committee probes Smith's actions during his time as special counsel in the Biden administration.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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The interim appointment comes a month after the Convention Center Authority parted ways with its former CEO Marcel Vernon, by way of a $500,00 severance agreement, as a state committee probes corruption allegations at the agency.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
11 Jan. 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
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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
“Skirmishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skirmishes. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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