brawl 1 of 2

noun

Definition of brawlnext
1
as in clash
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 altercation
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 roar
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

brawl

2 of 2

verb

ˈbrȯl How to pronounce brawl (audio)
as in to bicker
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 brawl
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
Verb
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 Massive fights erupted at the Wisconsin State Fair during its chaotic closing hours Sunday, with viral video showing people in crowds throwing punches and brawling as police moved in to break up the mayhem. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawl
  1. clash
  2. altercation
  3. roar
  4. bicker
  5. melee
  6. dispute
  7. noise
  8. fight
Noun
  • But any Republican looking for the nomination to succeed Trump will have to sidestep the same sort of internal clashes over Israel that have bedeviled Democrats.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In Spain, the unrest was largely concentrated in Barcelona, unlike France, where protests and clashes spread across multiple cities.
    — Amanda Macias, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of clash
Noun
  • Several callers reported that multiple individuals were involved in the altercation as well as a possible weapon.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The police chief told reporters the shooting likely stemmed from an altercation between two to three individuals and that the department’s Violent Crimes Unit would lead the ongoing investigation.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of altercation
Noun
  • The highlight of the play during a montage that was shown on the overhead videoboard set off some of the loudest roars of the night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Gators’ front let out its strongest roar in the fourth quarter with a fourth-and-1 stop that led to a rushing touchdown by Baugh, cementing a 27-17 lead.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of roar
Verb
  • The two of them together, just 17 months apart, shared playlists, bickered over where to stop during Apple CarPlay calls, pulled up beside me and faded away with silly faces, encapsulating 20 years of my life in my rearview mirror.
    — Robert Duffer, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Like law enforcement agents everywhere, they’re disposed to bickering about jurisdiction or pumping each other for off-limits information.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of bicker
Noun
  • Mings then grabbed Greenwood by the shirt, ripping it and leading to a melee.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The fifth man had escaped during the melee; he was found dead of his injuries a half mile away.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of melee
Noun
  • But the movement has widened to include workers demanding relief from rising living costs, making the government’s task broader than resolving a dispute over university admissions.
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Debt, the deficit and high interest rates limit the government’s ability to increase spending and foreshadow disputes over how to fund campaign promises without jeopardizing social programs.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of dispute
Noun
  • But the only picture mode that comes close to being that bright also has a notably green bias and ramps up the fan noise to a level that almost anyone will consider intolerable.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Communities are fighting data centers over spiking electric bills, soaring electricity and water demand, noise, land use and taxpayer subsidies.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of noise
Verb
  • For now, Smith and her team are on the road as the Valkyries fight to take home the WNBA Championship Trophy.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • My school years passed in a sliding door moment, and all there was to behold in that frame was a young man who had to physically fight to be allowed to be someone else—himself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fight

Browse Nearby Words

bravura
brawl
brawled
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Cite this Entry

“Brawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawl. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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