scuffle
to struggle or fight in a rough, confused manner.
to go or move in hurried confusion.
to move or go with a shuffle; scuff.
a rough, confused struggle or fight.
a shuffling: a scuffle of feet.
Also called scuffle hoe . a spadelike hoe that is pushed instead of pulled.
(in tap dancing) a forward and backward movement of the foot.
Origin of scuffle
1Other words for scuffle
Other words from scuffle
- scuffler, noun
- scuf·fling·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use scuffle in a sentence
They shouted and scuffled as the Half-Breed gatekeepers shoved them aside.
The GOP’s Last Identity Crisis Remade U.S. Politics | Michael Wolraich | July 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere is no dispute that Zimmerman and Martin scuffled before the shooting, but the nature of that scuffle has remained unclear.
Prosecutors Release New Evidence in George Zimmerman Shooting Case | Aram Roston | May 18, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTUp rose Madame Vine, scuffled on her spectacles, and took her seat soberly upon a chair.
East Lynne | Mrs. Henry WoodOver the dune they charged, and scuffled down to the dories.
Cursed | George Allan EnglandThey scuffled off and there was silence again for long minutes.
The Syndic | C.M. Kornbluth
They quacked and scuffled in the thick reeds at night, as we walked near them.
Thirty Years in Australia | Ada CambridgeMen scuffled for places upon the stationary benches arranged along either side of the table.
The Promise | James B. Hendryx
British Dictionary definitions for scuffle (1 of 2)
/ (ˈskʌfəl) /
to fight in a disorderly manner
to move by shuffling
to move in a hurried or confused manner
a disorderly struggle
the sound made by scuffling or shuffling
Origin of scuffle
1British Dictionary definitions for scuffle (2 of 2)
/ (ˈskʌfəl) /
US a type of hoe operated by pushing rather than pulling
Origin of scuffle
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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