free-for-all
Americannoun
-
a fight, argument, contest, etc., open to everyone and usually without rules.
- Synonyms:
- donnybrook, melee, scrap, fracas, brawl
-
any competition or contested situation that is disordered, impulsive, or out of control.
a free-for-all at the buffet table.
-
Informal. any enterprise or field of endeavor in which various companies, countries, participants, etc., compete without restriction.
a price-cutting free-for-all among local stores.
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of free-for-all
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
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 top half - where the fourth-round matches are being played on Monday - is a free-for-all.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
But that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all, according to Saxo Bank’s chief investment strategist Charu Chanana.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
And if the teacher is showing a video in class, it is a free-for-all, said Trimua.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
That timeline broadly aligns with Nasdaq’s ambitions, but it also underscores the reality: Tokenized settlement in U.S. equities will arrive first as a tightly permissioned pilot, not an open on-chain free-for-all.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026
The dressing rooms are just generally a total free-for-all, and anyone who cares about privacy at all changes in the bathroom.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
