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Synonyms

ruckus

American  
[ruhk-uhs] / ˈrʌk əs /

noun

  1. a noisy commotion; fracas; rumpus.

    The losers are sure to raise a ruckus.

  2. a heated controversy.

    Newspapers fostered the ruckus by printing the opponents' letters.


ruckus British  
/ ˈrʌkəs /

noun

  1. informal an uproar; ruction

"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

Etymology

Origin of ruckus

1885–90, probably blend of ruction and rumpus

Compare meaning

How does ruckus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

Those renovations raised a brief ruckus over the summer after Administration officials such as Russ Vought of the Office of Management and Budget accused the Fed of running over budget on a needlessly grandiose project.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

The ruckus began after Christian Braun fouled Harden with 6.6 seconds left in the second quarter, causing a lot of pushing and shoving.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2025

Efforts to silence people who create a ruckus suggest that “the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above his master.”

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2025

The row also moved off social media and a discussion about the show and the after-party caused a ruckus in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2025

He told her that their escape would cause such a ruckus that there would be no need to alert his man.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead