brawls 1 of 2

noun

plural of brawl
1
as in clashes
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people they were thrown out of the party after starting a brawl

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2
as in altercations
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions the student drama society's decision to put on the controversial play prompted a brawl at the school board meeting

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3
as in noises
loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound we could hear the brawl of the river rapids ahead of us before we could actually see them

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brawls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of brawl
as in fights
to express different opinions about something often angrily the Wilsons were always loudly brawling, and the neighbors were always shutting their windows

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of brawls
Noun
The Rek Humanoid Robot Fighting League is a fighting organization that hosts humanoid robot versus robot brawls in an undersized MMA cage. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026 These days, oversight hearings have degenerated into partisan brawls. — David Wippman, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026 Independent Russian media regularly report about returning veterans involved in assaults, drunken brawls and even killings. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 After the recent brawls, both teams released statements stressing the importance of a safe ballpark environment. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026 Lex and Tesehki are stars of Zeus Network's Baddies reality show where brawls are commonplace. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026 The season 2 trailer follows an earlier teaser trailer, which promised a few other bloody brawls. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 The game had two bench-clearing brawls, the second of which included several fans and 19 ejections including both managers and both replacement managers. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 After the final whistle blew, several brawls broke out between players, and even coaches appeared to get involved. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 July 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawls
  1. clashes
  2. altercations
  3. noises
  4. fights
  5. skirmishes
  6. quarrels
  7. roars
  8. bickers
Noun
  • However, more than a year later, clashes continue in eastern Congo, and experts say negotiations will become even more complicated with Kabila in a leadership position.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Main roads leading Yemen’s third-largest city have been closed amid rebel attacks, with regular clashes on the outskirts and overnight bombardment.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of clashes
Noun
  • Images showed altercations between police and protesters, with officers using batons to strike demonstrators, who threw barriers.
    — Joseph Wilson, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The election is taking place amid heightened political tensions in Serbia, with reports of incidents and physical altercations at campaign events.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of altercations
Noun
  • Before the recent barn owl sightings, Williams and her husband heard periodic screeching noises outside going back to early September.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Screeching was heard by residents Before the recent barn owl sightings, Williams and her husband heard periodic screeching noises outside going back to early September.
    — Joseph B. Frederick, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of noises
Verb
  • As Ukraine fights a larger, richer and better-equipped enemy, Kyiv sees the strikes on Russian oil refineries as one of its few instruments to reduce Moscow’s ability to fight.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Gemma, still recovering from her injury, fights her impulses and stays on the sideline.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of fights
Noun
  • This leads to even more behind-the-scenes skirmishes laced with character-centric comedy, as opposing factions align.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Ties between the two countries remain strained over their long-running Himalayan border dispute, which erupted into a deadly skirmishes in 2020 that saw soldiers from both sides use rocks and iron rods in brutal hand-to-hand combat.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of skirmishes
Noun
  • The overtones of social significance are adroitly handled and make real sense in an era of tragic international quarrels.
    — THR Staff, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike Christian priests and medicine men, who generally command respect, rainmakers are sometimes seen as malicious people who retaliate against whole communities for quarrels with their neighbors.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of quarrels
Noun
  • Maybe the Dodger fans, who showed striking apathy in the playoffs, will return to their post-dynasty roars because of this.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • As the roars grew louder and louder inside Valley Children’s Stadium, Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen prepared to take the snap on a crucial fourth-and-2.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of roars
Verb
  • The pope, played by Samora la Perdida, is a mincing oaf who bickers with Galas about the value of translating Wagner.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of bickers

Browse Nearby Words

brawling
brawls
brawly
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Cite this Entry

“Brawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawls. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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