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Melee Has French Roots
English has no shortage of words for confused and noisy fights, some (fray, brawl, scrap) more common than others (donnybrook, fracas). Melee tends to be encountered more often in written rather than spoken English, but it is far from obscure, and has seen increasing use especially in the context of video games featuring some form of hand-to-hand combat. Such games allow players to mix it up with all manner of rivals and baddies from the comfort and safety of their home, with mix being an especially apt word alongside melee: the latter comes from the French word mêlée, which in turn comes from the Old French verb mesler, meaning "to mix."
Synonyms
Examples of melee in a Sentence
Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Rozier back: Guard Terry Rozier was back for the Heat after serving a one-game NBA suspension for his role in Sunday night’s melee in the road victory over the Houston Rockets.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2025
By the time the melee had ended, at least 35 people were injured, New Orleans police and city officials said.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 1 Jan. 2025
By turning Doomguy into a knight wielding a gigantic, spiked shield a huge sword primed for brutal melee takedowns.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near melee
Cite this Entry
“Melee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melee. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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melee
noun
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