as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
several chairs were knocked over in the scuffle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to shuffle
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 to wrestle
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 scuffle
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025
Videos from the confrontation show Border Patrol agents scuffling with Martinez, shoving him to the ground at least twice.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
Toronto’s bats got hot at the Seattle Mariners and beat down a scuffling San Diego Padres team earlier this month.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 31 May 2025
The Cubs could look to the scuffling Orioles for help on that front.
—Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Verb
With Lindor scuffling at the plate, the Mets moved him down to second in the order as a DH, with Ronny Mauricio playing shortstop.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025
Videos from the confrontation show Border Patrol agents scuffling with Martinez, shoving him to the ground at least twice.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
Toronto’s bats got hot at the Seattle Mariners and beat down a scuffling San Diego Padres team earlier this month.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 31 May 2025
The Cubs could look to the scuffling Orioles for help on that front.
—Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffle
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
Verb
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All week, campers were shuffled from one activity to the next, mixing games, prayers and church services with lectures that coincide with lessons from the Bible.—
Paul Bersebach,
Oc Register,
12 July 2025
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Guevara, 47, has been shuffled through three detention sites despite Immigration Judge James Ward’s decision to grant him bond on July 1, according to The Associated Press.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Grid managers, utility companies and regulators, meanwhile, are wrestling with how to meet the growing demand while keeping the power supply affordable and reliable.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 July 2025
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The protestor eventually held onto the bridge railing while officers wrestled him to the ground.—
Jolene Almendarez,
The Enquirer,
18 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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The Thai Health Ministry said 15 civilians and one soldier had been killed and 46 civilians and 15 soldiers wounded in the clashes since Thursday.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Symptoms include shivering, memory loss, stumbling, confusion and sleepiness.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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But the Mets’ rotation stumbled in the second half of June and into the All-Star break.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Experts say the relatively simple way to survive this current is to float, stay as calm as possible and don’t fight it.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
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The tribe also has fought to preserve shrinking numbers of the c'waam and koptu, two fish species central to the three tribal cultures that form the tribe.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
21 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
Verb
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Denver posted a 16-4 mark through the spring of ’23, sweeping the Lakers, then stomping the Heat in The Finals to finally reach the NBA’s summit.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
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Footage shared online shows the woman stomping her feet and kicking her legs from the ground.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffle. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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