as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
he came home with a black eye from the dustup at the bar
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Recent Examples of dustup
The White House, of course, said Padilla was to blame for the dustup.
—
Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 15 June 2025
But who will lose most when the proverbial dust from the dustup finally settles?
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 June 2025
It’s been a full week, but even with the passage of time, this dustup doesn’t look any better – for anyone involved.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
At the Defense Department, Secretary Pete Hegseth and the top leadership are described by insiders as in turmoil as the secretary navigates negative headlines about handling sensitive military information, among other dustups the president could do without.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 15 June 2025
But who will lose most when the proverbial dust from the dustup finally settles?
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 June 2025
It’s been a full week, but even with the passage of time, this dustup doesn’t look any better – for anyone involved.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
At the Defense Department, Secretary Pete Hegseth and the top leadership are described by insiders as in turmoil as the secretary navigates negative headlines about handling sensitive military information, among other dustups the president could do without.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dustup
Noun
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The skirmish left the mother of Jones' child with a black eye.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
18 July 2025
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The skirmish has thrust into the public eye a falling-out between two political heavyweights once seen as close allies.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
16 July 2025
Noun
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Which is why policy analysts are scratching their heads about what exactly lies behind the escalating border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
25 July 2025
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Navarro and Griffin have long had tension on the air, including past eye-rolling and clashes.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Coming weeks after Lexington and Concord, the battle marked the British effort to control the hills surrounding Boston’s harbor.—
Brian T. Allen,
National Review,
19 July 2025
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The injuries that eventually cut the third baseman’s career short began to take hold right before Forde lost a years-long battle with breast cancer.—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
19 July 2025
Noun
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The media is focused on the fight between moderates and progressives as the party seeks to recover from their 2024 shellacking.—
John Opdycke,
New York Daily News,
21 July 2025
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Shields won that fight by second-round TKO to become the WBC and WBF heavyweight champ.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dustup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustup. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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