brawling

verb

present participle of brawl
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily the Wilsons were always loudly brawling, and the neighbors were always shutting their windows

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 brawling Grammy award-winning singer Chris Brown to be sentenced over brawling at a London nightclub three years ago. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026 Combs was previously placed in solitary confinement after brawling with another inmate back in July. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026 Latino culture typecasts hombres as eternal machos always a few drinks away from brawling or bawling. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 Both trips include a stop at the town jail after brawling with the locals, albeit this time John’s the one behind bars instead of Hal. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Sep. 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 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 The perils of brawling with a bin Professor Tonge puts the likelihood of an upset at around 30%. — Mark Rice-Oxley, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2026 And in an age of boorish, brawling Little League Parents®, perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned from our new friends in the horn hats. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawling
  1. bickering
  2. fighting
  3. arguing
  4. quarreling
Verb
  • 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
  • There’s striker Josie Gordon, bickering twin sisters Siobhan and Niamh, glove-shunning goalie Katie ‘Boots’ Quinn and couple Maddie and Margy.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of bickering
Verb
  • The discovery raises the possibility of a grim outcome in the search for the four men, which has led to El Salvador deploying 450 special forces soldiers to Haiti as of Friday to aid the gang-fighting force in the search.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The whole idea is for Israel to keep fighting, because endless wars serve Netanyahu to maintain… a constant state of emergency.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of fighting
Verb
  • The Virginia appeals court is being asked to invalidate the amendment, arguing state lawmakers failed to follow proper procedures before putting it before voters.
    — Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Means, along with his sister, came to prominence within the MAHA movement by arguing that ultraprocessed foods, additives and pesticides could be blamed for many of the chronic health conditions facing Americans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of arguing
Verb
  • The two were among two quarreling groups inside the club that began to fight, according to the report.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Sunday, a caller reported hearing two men quarreling and someone stating that a person would be taken into custody.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of quarreling

Browse Nearby Words

brawlers
brawling
brawls
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Cite this Entry

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

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