free-for-all

American  

[free-fer-awl] / ˈfri fərˌɔl /

noun

1. a fight, argument, contest, etc., open to everyone and usually without rules.

   Synonyms:

   donnybrook, melee, scrap, fracas, brawl

2. any competition or contested situation that is disordered, impulsive, or out of control.

   a free-for-all at the buffet table.

3. 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.

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adjective

1. open to everyone.

free-for-all British  

noun

1. informal a disorganized brawl or argument, usually involving all those present

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Etymology

Origin of free-for-all

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

“Is God Is” isn’t the kind of rollicking free-for-all that will have you cheering in the theater.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

"If that doesn't get given as a penalty, then it's an absolute free-for-all from now on," David Moyes said after the game.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

A big reason is because the selloff in the past couple of weeks has been an orderly one, as McCourt highlights, rather than a panicked free-for-all.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 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 field at Indian Creek was a free-for-all in the afternoons; there were no fences around the property, and neighborhood teenagers were constantly popping out of the surrounding woods.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

Related Words

• brawl
• brouhaha
• fracas
• melee
• riot