make a scene

Idioms  

1. Also, create a scene; make an uproar. Make a public disturbance or excited emotional display. For example, Joan made a scene when the restaurant lost her dinner reservation, or Ted made an uproar over losing his luggage. Make a scene was first recorded in 1831; the variant employs uproar in the sense of “a noisy commotion,” a usage first recorded in 1548.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

make a scene

You can make a scene and say “Get out, I won’t talk to you,” which makes you look crazy, or talk to them like they’re normal.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025

"We are going to block all the candidates wherever they arrive. We will make a scene," said farm activist Luz Maria Mendoza.

From Reuters ● Jun. 27, 2023

This is where the choreography piece of Ms. Steinrock’s job comes in: She can offer ways to use breath or adjust positions to make a scene more evocative.

From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2023

I thought it was so disrespectful that he took it upon himself to be like, “OK, I’m out the door, one last hoorah, let me make a scene of myself.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2022

She was trying not to make a scene, and she dreaded her heart.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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