brawl

1 of 2

verb

ˈbrȯl How to pronounce brawl (audio)
brawled; brawling; brawls
Synonyms of brawl

intransitive verb

1
: to quarrel or fight noisily : wrangle
soccer fans brawling in the streets
2
: to make a loud confused noise
The Miami river … brawled over 25 feet of rapids …—Marjory S. Douglas
brawler noun

brawl

2 of 2

noun

1
: a noisy quarrel or fight
a brawl broke out among the fans
a barroom brawl
2
: a loud tumultuous noise
… the spring run became quite a trout brook and its tiny murmur a loud brawl …—John Burroughs

Synonyms of brawl

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Verb

Noun

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Examples of brawl in a Sentence

Verb Fans were brawling in the streets after the game. the Wilsons were always loudly brawling, and the neighbors were always shutting their windows Noun they were thrown out of the party after starting a brawl the student drama society's decision to put on the controversial play prompted a brawl at the school board meeting
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The teams brawled on the outside for minutes, but the chants started up again. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Well, maybe everyone except for the fans escorted out of the right-field bleachers after brawling, another clip that went viral on social media. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
After the fight, Shakur allegedly got into a brawl with Anderson, a member of the South Side Compton Crips gang who had attempted to steal a Death Row Records medallion from a member of Shakur’s entourage. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 The inciting incident behind the murder of one of the greatest rappers of all time very well might have been triggered by an ostensibly insignificant brawl at a mall Foot Locker. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brawl

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English brawlen, brallen, of uncertain origin

Noun

Middle English braule, brall, noun derivative of brawlen "to brawl entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brawl was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing brawl

Rhymes for brawl

See All Rhymes for brawl

Browse Nearby Words

braw
brawl
brawler
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Cite this Entry

“Brawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brawl. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

brawl

verb
ˈbrȯl
1
: to quarrel noisily : wrangle
2
: to make a loud confused noise
brawl noun
brawler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on brawl

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brawl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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