as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
he came home with a black eye from the dustup at the bar
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Recent Examples of dustup
The White House, of course, said Padilla was to blame for the dustup.
—
Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 15 June 2025
But who will lose most when the proverbial dust from the dustup finally settles?
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 June 2025
It’s been a full week, but even with the passage of time, this dustup doesn’t look any better – for anyone involved.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
At the Defense Department, Secretary Pete Hegseth and the top leadership are described by insiders as in turmoil as the secretary navigates negative headlines about handling sensitive military information, among other dustups the president could do without.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 15 June 2025
But who will lose most when the proverbial dust from the dustup finally settles?
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 June 2025
It’s been a full week, but even with the passage of time, this dustup doesn’t look any better – for anyone involved.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
At the Defense Department, Secretary Pete Hegseth and the top leadership are described by insiders as in turmoil as the secretary navigates negative headlines about handling sensitive military information, among other dustups the president could do without.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dustup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dustup
Noun
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Could a Stronger Federal System Have Prevented the Texas Disaster and is this even the question to ask? America’s approach to disaster relief has long been one of the recurring skirmishes in the larger political theatre of governance.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Yet Villa were short of cash and the lack of financial headroom brought skirmishes with profit and sustainability rules (PSR).—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Steve Garcia When the betting odds were first published for the Calvin Kattar vs. Steve Garcia featherweight clash, Garcia was listed as a -140 betting favorite over the +115 Kattar.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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President Donald Trump broke his silence one day after reports of a clash between U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino about the release of a memo regarding Jeffrey Epstein, which prompted conservatives on social media to call for the president to fire her.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Noun
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The battle will continue as Trump has blasted the mainstream media for years and signed an executive order to cut federal funding for National Public Radio and PBS, said U.S. Rep. John B. Larson of East Hartford.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
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Potter faces a battle to restore optimism among the fanbase.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Pledging weapons for Ukraine's fight appears to be the latest stage in this pivot.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
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Some scenes, like a fight that takes place in an antiproton river in the pocket universe, feel almost more like a cartoon than live-action, and not in a good way.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dustup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dustup. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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