slugfests

noun

plural of slugfest
as in fisticuffs

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slugfests
  1. blows
  2. melees
  3. duels
  4. confrontations
  5. brawls
Noun
  • Deaton was well-prepared, brought the fire, and landed a number of blows that at times appeared to make Markey wince.
    — Jon Keller, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The two countries have been trading blows on energy infrastructure.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of blows
Noun
  • Infantry has been around since officers figured out how to get soldiers organized instead of fighting in melees like football hooligans on a Saturday night after 12 pints of lager.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Sep. 2026
  • There was a bunch of melees on the ice today.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of melees
Noun
  • In defence, his lack of physicality is becoming more glaring in a Premier League that is leaning more heavily than ever into duels, second balls and set pieces.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The noodles, the cheese, the topping, the consistency—duels have been fought over less.
    — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of duels
Noun
  • If last week’s Atlanta News First debate discouraged direct confrontations, Tuesday’s Atlanta Press Club showdown gave the two rivals room to unload on each other.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined student protesters in France on Tuesday after weeks of violent confrontations with police, thousands of arrests and widespread school closures over demands for education reform.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of confrontations
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
Definition of brawls
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.

Browse Nearby Words

slugfest
slugfests
sluggard
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Cite this Entry

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

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