skirmish
noun
a fight between small bodies of troops, especially advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies.
have skirmished
-
present perfectof skirmish.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Hezbollah and Israel have skirmished along the tense Lebanon-Israel border.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 26, 2023
The two leaders have skirmished frequently since de Blasio took office in 2014.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 13, 2020
Lyric sites like Genius have skirmished with publishers over the past several years; Genius suggested that the reprints could be defended as fair use but ultimately struck deals with record labels.
From The Verge ● Jun. 18, 2019
Since then, Chinese and Vietnamese troops have skirmished over ownership of islets in the South China Sea.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2018
With its national army still in formation, Libya's fragile government has long struggled against the power of the militias, which have skirmished in parts of the capital since 2011.
From Reuters ● Aug. 5, 2014
