dust-up

British

noun

a quarrel, fight, or argument

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

(tr, adverb) to attack or assault (someone)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

The remarks mark the latest dust-up between Trump and the alliance.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

The viral dust-up is helping McDonald’s where it counts—at the cash register.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss this week’s dust-up between Stephen Colbert and CBS amid FCC threats over an interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico.

From Slate • Feb. 19, 2026

“You didn’t think we’d get through October without a dust-up did you?”

From MarketWatch • Oct. 12, 2025

We were in just the right mood, and there would certainly have been a dust-up if our company commander had not appeared.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023