brawl

1 of 2

verb

brawled; brawling; brawls

intransitive verb

1
: to quarrel or fight noisily : wrangle
soccer fans brawling in the streets
2
: to make a loud confused noise
the Miami river … brawled over 25 feet of rapidsMarjory S. Douglas
brawler noun

brawl

2 of 2

noun

1
: a noisy quarrel or fight
a brawl broke out among the fans
a barroom brawl
2
: a loud tumultuous noise
the spring run became quite a trout brook and its tiny murmur a loud brawlJohn Burroughs

Examples of brawl in a Sentence

Verb Fans were brawling in the streets after the game. the Wilsons were always loudly brawling, and the neighbors were always shutting their windows Noun they were thrown out of the party after starting a brawl the student drama society's decision to put on the controversial play prompted a brawl at the school board meeting
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Damian Priest brawled with the Judgment Day and lost. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024 The American Kennel Club describes the Staffordshire bull terrier as a dog with a brawling past who can make a mild, playful companion, sweet-natured and eager-to-please with the right training. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024
Noun
There’s this brawl out scene with the henchmen of Ivan’s Russian billionaire parents. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024 The brawl got so intense that police had to step in and pepper spray players to stop the chaos. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for brawl 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English brawlen, brallen, of uncertain origin

Noun

Middle English braule, brall, noun derivative of brawlen "to brawl entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brawl was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near brawl

Cite this Entry

“Brawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brawl. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

brawl

verb
ˈbrȯl
1
: to quarrel noisily : wrangle
2
: to make a loud confused noise
brawl noun
brawler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on brawl

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