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Melee Has French Roots
English has no shortage of words for confused and noisy fights, some (fray, brawl, scrap) more common than others (donnybrook, fracas). Melee tends to be encountered more often in written rather than spoken English, but it is far from obscure, and has seen increasing use especially in the context of video games featuring some form of hand-to-hand combat. Such games allow players to mix it up with all manner of rivals and baddies from the comfort and safety of their home, with mix being an especially apt word alongside melee: the latter comes from the French word mêlée, which in turn comes from the Old French verb mesler, meaning "to mix."
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Examples of melee in a Sentence
Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
Following a questionable call by a referee on the field, fans threw stones, rushed the pitch, and some were crushed in the process, while others tried to escape the melee by jumping a high fence, according to the Associated Press.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024
California For Subscribers Mexican Mafia settled scores with killing at Long Beach homeless camp, records reveal
Nov. 18, 2024
That melee started after prisoners brewed up a batch of contraband alcohol known as pruno, according to a law enforcement report reviewed by The Times.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
The caustic atmosphere surrounding the fight sparked a melee outside the octagon immediately after it was finished, and eventually led to suspensions for Nurmagomedov and McGregor.
—Lauren Merola, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Melee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melee. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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melee
noun
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