free-for-all
noun
: a competition, dispute, or fight open to all comers and usually with no rules : brawl
also
: a chaotic situation resembling a free-for-all especially in lacking rules or structure
the press conference deteriorated into a free-for-all
free-for-all
adjective
Synonyms
Examples of free-for-all in a Sentence
during the play-offs, fans of the opposing teams clashed in the streets in several free-for-alls
it was a free-for-all when the doors to the arena opened and the crowd rushed in all at once
Recent Examples on the Web
And a free-for-all compressed into a short period would limit the amount of vetting a nominee would go through and could reopen ideological conflicts that Biden was largely able to pacify.
—
E.j. Dionne Jr., Washington Post, 30 June 2024
Trump tried to frame the border as a free-for-all and chaotic, and Biden pointed out that under Trump, children were being separated from their families after crossing the border.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2024
If the verdict stands, as Deadline wrote then, the result could be a streaming free-for-all with each of the league’s 32 teams making individual deals with platforms games.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 June 2024
Coastal Alabamians have been recording jubilees since before the Civil War, and before modern fishing regulations came about, old-timers would eagerly await the shallow water free-for-all.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for free-for-all 
E.j. Dionne Jr., Washington Post, 30 June 2024
Trump tried to frame the border as a free-for-all and chaotic, and Biden pointed out that under Trump, children were being separated from their families after crossing the border.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2024
If the verdict stands, as Deadline wrote then, the result could be a streaming free-for-all with each of the league’s 32 teams making individual deals with platforms games.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 June 2024
Coastal Alabamians have been recording jubilees since before the Civil War, and before modern fishing regulations came about, old-timers would eagerly await the shallow water free-for-all.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for free-for-all
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'free-for-all.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near free-for-all
Cite this Entry
“Free-for-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free-for-all. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share