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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 brawl
Noun
After the brawl, Davis is alleged to have gone looking for Knight and Shakur to retaliate. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 Inter Miami made the final in 2025, but lost 3-0 to Seattle in a game that ended with a brawl that led to Suarez’s suspension. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
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 Another worker described the chaos as well over a dozen teens brawled inside the diner. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 17 June 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
  • Its vibrant colors and familiar texture became fashion material, incorporated into the fishnets, color clashes and styling experiments surrounding her tour with Skillibeng.
    — Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Be sure to draw appropriate boundaries while Venus and Neptune clash.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of clash
Noun
  • After the altercation, the juvenile employee recalled that Grayson appeared to lower herself to the floor in the dining area.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Kelce was among their teammates who stepped in to break up the altercation.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of altercation
Noun
  • The roar of her engine died away, the white V around her prow disappeared, her nose fell.
    — JAMES D. OXLEY, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Round out your visit with a ride aboard the Maid of the Mist, descend into the gorge at Cave of the Winds, or simply pause to take in the roar and mist of one of North America’s most spectacular natural wonders.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of roar
Verb
  • 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
  • Still bloody in last night’s clothing, the two fill a cart with candy and bicker contentedly about the state of the candy industry—arguably also a wink at the state of film.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of bicker
Noun
  • The melee was a hot topic at Monday night's city council meeting.
    — Julia Avant, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Wepa Up retained their titles via disqualification against the War Raiders amidst a chaotic post-match melee involving the Tongas.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of melee
Noun
  • The release of Fauci's text messages could further rekindle a yearslong dispute between Fauci and congressional Republicans about how the federal government's former top infectious disease expert responded to the coronavirus pandemic.
    — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Creditors rarely challenge such plans because most disputes are resolved earlier.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of dispute
Noun
  • Parking, noise, light pollution and the impact on nearby neighborhoods have also been major concerns.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Traffic, construction projects, mining operations, industrial work, concerts and sporting events all generate small but measurable ground movements known as anthropogenic seismic noise.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of noise
Verb
  • But the judge’s order showed a possible path forward for other court fights around the country as Meta faces mounting legal, regulatory and public pressure to do more to protect young people.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Garlic Garlic is rich in plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antihypertensive (fighting high blood pressure) properties.
    — Carrie Madormo, HEALTH, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of fight

Browse Nearby Words

bravura
brawl
brawled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawl. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on brawl

Nglish: Translation of brawl for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brawl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All