scuffle
Americanverb (used without object)
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to struggle or fight in a rough, confused manner.
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to go or move in hurried confusion.
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to move or go with a shuffle; scuff.
verb
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to fight in a disorderly manner
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to move by shuffling
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to move in a hurried or confused manner
noun
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a disorderly struggle
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the sound made by scuffling or shuffling
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has scuffledperfect 3rd person singular
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have scuffledperfect
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has been scufflingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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scufflessingular 3rd person
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scufflingparticiple
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is scufflingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am scufflingprogressive 1st person singular
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are scufflingprogressive
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have been scufflingperfect progressive
Past
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had scuffledperfect
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had been scufflingperfect progressive
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scuffledparticiple
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scuffledsimple
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were scufflingprogressive plural
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was scufflingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of scuffle
Explanation
As both a noun and a verb, scuffle involves a fight. As a noun, it is the clash itself, like a scuffle between sworn enemies. As a verb, it means to fight, like a bully who will scuffle with just about anyone. A scuffle is not an organized bout: it is a free-for-all, with fists flying in any and all directions. As a verb, it tells about the act of this kind of wild fighting, like angry kids who scuffle to try to settle their problems, but it can also mean "dragging one's feet while walking." Here, the meaning is not related to fighting, but rather the sound made by those shuffling feet.
Vocabulary lists containing scuffle
"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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Dear Martin
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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.
To celebrate the occasion, Childress presented Busch with a gift commemorating their infamous scuffle: a Rolex.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The 31-year-old was tackled and detained in a chaotic scuffle with security guards.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Initial reports said visitors, mostly young people, were crammed against a single entrance and a scuffle broke out between those trying to leave and enter the site.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
Though the two companies have been long-term rivals, the Super Bowl ad was one of the first times the scuffle was so public.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026
The mattress was part way off the bed, as if he had been engaged in the night in some scuffle with intruders.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
