skirmish

American  

[skur-mish] / ˈskɜr mɪʃ /

noun

1. Military. a fight between small bodies of troops, especially advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies.

   Synonyms:

   brush, combat

2. any brisk conflict or encounter.

   She had a skirmish with her landlord about the rent.

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verb (used without object)

1. to engage in a skirmish.

skirmish British  

/ ˈskɜːmɪʃ /

noun

1. a minor short-lived military engagement

2. any brisk clash or encounter, usually of a minor nature

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verb

1. to engage in a skirmish

Related Words

See battle ¹.

Other Word Forms

• outskirmish verb (used with object)
• skirmisher noun

Etymology

Origin of skirmish

1300–50; (noun) Middle English skirmysshe < Old French eskirmiss-, long stem of eskirmir < Germanic (compare Old High German skirman ); replacing Middle English scarmouche < Old French escaramoucher ( Scaramouch ); (v.) late Middle English scarmuchen, scarmusshen to skirmish, Middle English skirmisshen to brandish a weapon < Old French escar ( a ) mucher to skirmish; vowels influenced by Old French eskirmiss-

Example Sentences

To an outsider, the situation in Oxford might seem like a classic local skirmish between angry residents and their council.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the post-game skirmish was the result of lax officiating.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

During yet another skirmish outside, a woman came in sobbing.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

The skirmish is just the latest between YouTube and programming companies.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

But before my first skirmish, I needed some intelligence.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Related Words

• altercation
• argument
• battle
• bout
• brawl
• clash
• combat
• conflict
• confrontation
• disagreement
• dispute
• encounter
• feud
• fisticuffs
• fracas
• melee
• quarrel
• run-in
• scuffle
• strife