as in brawl
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affray
That simple affray charge was dismissed on April 22, according to court records.
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Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2024
Although Stokes was fully acquitted of affray, the incident had a deep effect on him and was a stop-the-clock moment in his career.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Two 13-year-old boys were charged with assault and battery by means of a deadly weapon (shod foot), affray, and resisting arrest, police said.
—Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023
On Tuesday — nearly two months after the incident — Anne Arundel County police arrested 26-year-old Trevor Taylor of Glen Burnie, Md., on charges of manslaughter, second-degree assault, affray and disorderly conduct.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 21 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for affray
Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2024
Although Stokes was fully acquitted of affray, the incident had a deep effect on him and was a stop-the-clock moment in his career.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Two 13-year-old boys were charged with assault and battery by means of a deadly weapon (shod foot), affray, and resisting arrest, police said.
—Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023
On Tuesday — nearly two months after the incident — Anne Arundel County police arrested 26-year-old Trevor Taylor of Glen Burnie, Md., on charges of manslaughter, second-degree assault, affray and disorderly conduct.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 21 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for affray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affray
Noun
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Authorities attempted to limit the violence on the Seaside Heights boardwalk over the holiday weekend by imposing a 10 p.m. curfew on unaccompanied minors, but the brawls continued anyway, WABC reported.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2025
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No one could agree on whether the brawl of as many as nine young men was limited to fists or if its participants were also kicking and stomping.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Jaques said officers at 7:49 a.m. on Sunday received a complaint from a woman who reported that someone was following her vehicle while waving a gun following an altercation at a local gas station.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2025
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Initial data provided by the department suggest that practicing the martial art not only helps boost officers' physical and mental health, but also enables cops to use less force during an arrest or altercation.—
Katja Ridderbusch,
NPR,
26 May 2025
Noun
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Trump tests legal strategies as judges block his policies As the clash becomes a defining moment in the president's second term, conservative activists are pushing Congress to rein in federal judges and pressing Trump to intensify his fight with the courts.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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The clash between Villaraigosa’s environmentalist credentials and oil-industry ties surfaced in the governor’s race after Valero announced in late April that its Bay Area refinery would close next year, not long after Phillips 66 said its Wilmington refinery would close in 2025.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Affray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affray. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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