1
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
the police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
police preparing for any fracas that might follow the soccer game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fracas
Mayor Daniel Lurie’s vision of San Francisco’s ascendant recovery was dealt a blow Thursday when a police officer who protects him was injured in a back-alley fracas in the Tenderloin.
—
J.d. Morris, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2026
The fracas has even revived the anti-military sentiment at Google, where a tiny fraction of its employees wrote a letter to the company imploring it to make a similar stand.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Jonny Fairplay went from being banned from all official Survivor events (the result of a Vanuatu finale after-party fracas) to back on the show for Micronesia.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
Mamdani has downplayed the fracas in Washington Square Park as kids simply having some fun.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fracas
J.d. Morris, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2026
The fracas has even revived the anti-military sentiment at Google, where a tiny fraction of its employees wrote a letter to the company imploring it to make a similar stand.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Jonny Fairplay went from being banned from all official Survivor events (the result of a Vanuatu finale after-party fracas) to back on the show for Micronesia.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
Mamdani has downplayed the fracas in Washington Square Park as kids simply having some fun.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fracas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fracas
Noun
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The Pittsburgh Penguins staved off elimination for the second straight game with a clutch Game 5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night, but celebrations were briefly halted when a skirmish erupted over a controversial hit on Sidney Crosby after the final buzzer.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Walker, in a 10-pitch skirmish, drew a walk.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Naz Reid nearly escalated the exchange into a brawl, but the parties were ultimately separated enough to avoid ejections.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
Guns are loaded, a brawl breaks out in a bar and Rip rides away from a fire on horseback.—
Brayden Garcia
May 1,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
In some cases, the panel couldn’t even identify ICE or Border Patrol agents involved in high-profile clashes.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The group of cyclists, who fell after the clash, collided into the side of the SUV and fell onto the pavement.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
At 20, he was arrested after a routine traffic stop turned into a violent altercation with police.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The altercation between Avdija and Castle put an end to a frustrating day for the Trail Blazers, who lost Game 4 by 21 points after holding a 17-point lead at halftime.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Voters will probably be bombarded with political ads and arguments from opposing sides as the battle intensifies.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Koh-i-Noor then spent 70 years in Afghanistan, where it was passed around by leaders who won bloody battles against one another.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The fight, though, kept getting delayed.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
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While Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first Black president and a global icon – having spent 27 years in jail for his role in the fight against apartheid – his wife Winnie, who was arguably just as instrumental in that fight, has been widely maligned.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Near the end of the penultimate episode, Cashman confronts Blake about Urich, shoves him to the ground in a scuffle and shoots him dead.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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The impasse apparently led to a couple of scuffles, including one at a barbershop where Carter was nearly stabbed until one of the men cutting hair intervened.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bart Jansen The latest dustup between the United States and Iran is over the names of bodies of water.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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But even then that dustup lacks a satisfying catfight spark.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fracas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fracas. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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