as in brawls
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
the police had to break up an affray that started between fans of the opposing teams
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affrays
Noun
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Malema heads the Economic Freedom Fighters, which advocates for the expropriation of mines, banks and land, and is notorious for starting brawls in parliament.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026 -
Other brewhouse brawls happen at Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa (Havoc And Haze) and Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach (Rooted In Chaos), often drawing 300 to 500 visitors, CCW co-owner Dan Ackerman says.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Though the large parties associated with Spring Weekend were not sanctioned by UConn, the lawsuit contended that university officials knew about the troubles and potential dangers that would ensue based, in part, on previous altercations that had occurred.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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Gardner’s style of play irritated plenty of opponents along the way, too, as he was involved in a few verbal altercations throughout the season with players like Klay Thompson and Scotty Pippen Jr.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Transportation future While most Coloradans want properly maintained roads, Restore Our Roads clashes with voters’ broader wishes, said Matt Frommer, transportation and land use policy manager for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, an environmental advocacy group.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
27 Apr. 2026
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Last year, clashes between farmers and herders in southwestern Chad left 42 people dead and several homes burned.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Affrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affrays. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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