fracas

noun

fra·​cas ˈfrā-kəs How to pronounce fracas (audio) ˈfra- How to pronounce fracas (audio)
British
ˈfra-ˌkä How to pronounce fracas (audio)
plural fracases ˈfrā-kə-səz How to pronounce fracas (audio)
ˈfra-
or British fracas ˈfra-ˌkäz How to pronounce fracas (audio)
: a noisy quarrel : brawl
a drunken fracas

Examples of fracas in a Sentence

the police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup police preparing for any fracas that might follow the soccer game
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.
Frogtown’s flea market fracas and hard truths about gentrification. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024 The fracas threatens to shift Pennsylvania, an all important swing state, toward Vice President Harris. Hispanic, and particularly Puerto Rican, voters along the Highway 222 corridor, also known as the Latino Corridor, are a key demographic in a state that’s tied in most polls. Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024 The fracas began at around 14:30 PM local time in Catalonia according to Anna Punsi, whose report has been confirmed by MARCA. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024 Murray was right in the middle of the action when Caleb Williams was hit out of bounds on a play that should have drawn a penalty and was in a fracas after Roschon Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run that led to ejections for Bears guard Matt Pryor and Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fracas 

Word History

Etymology

French, din, row, from Italian fracasso, from fracassare to shatter

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fracas was in 1716

Dictionary Entries Near fracas

Cite this Entry

“Fracas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fracas. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fracas

noun
: a noisy quarrel or fight

More from Merriam-Webster on fracas

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!