ruckus
Americannoun
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ruckuses
plural
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a noisy commotion; fracas; rumpus.
The losers are sure to raise a ruckus.
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a heated controversy.
Newspapers fostered the ruckus by printing the opponents' letters.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ruckus
Compare meaning
How does ruckus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you raise a ruckus you make a lot of noise. A ruckus can be the sound of an argument, the noise of soccer fans celebrating a victory, or it could be two-year-olds banging on pots and pans. Ruckus sounds like what it means — loud and maybe a little rowdy. A ruckus is the uproar you cause when you noisily protest the new cafeteria menu or a bad call against your favorite team. Cats fighting outside your window in the middle of the night could also cause a ruckus. You can also raise a quiet ruckus with your letters to the editor or silent sit-ins that instantly go viral.
Vocabulary lists containing ruckus
Mayhem! Chaos! Pandemonium!
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Chains
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Although Japanese popular culture had a mainstream presence in the U.S., most of us associated it with, say, Nintendo games or after-school cartoons like “Voltron” and all their associated ruckus.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Then, a mischief of magpies began a ruckus, chattering and hopping from branch to branch of a scraggly tree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
White House officials gave him the boot last summer after he torpedoed gene therapies, causing a ruckus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
The projections could change all that and even create enough of a ruckus to get a reluctant, car-crazed city to make that Grand Avenue block pedestrian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026
The girl’s obviously what the town wants, what with all the ruckus over the quiet in my Noise.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
Other passengers have complained of comfort animals triggering allergic reactions, sprawling over arm rests and causing ruckuses.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2018
Having dispensed with the iffy solo albums, ruckuses and motivational crises of the mega-selling rock band, the reactivated Las Vegas four-piece sound bigger than ever, a gale force of sound.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 19, 2012
On the page, of course, where fraudulent memoirs have causes major ruckuses in recent years, the story is entirely different.
From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2012
In the final days of training, Charles was reported to be peeved at Eagan, disturbed over the prospect of a small gate,* and annoyed over ruckuses among his backers.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
