street fighter

American  

Or street-fighter

noun

1. a person whose style of fistfighting was learned in the streets, as opposed to a trained or proficient boxer.

2. a person who deals with others in an aggressive, cunning manner.

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Other Word Forms

• street-fighting
  noun

Example Sentences

The son of a Scottish immigrant, McCluskie had a reputation as a political street fighter and his gruff style complemented Becerra’s more measured, cerebral approach.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

But her supporters argue that only a street fighter like her could have ended Communist rule in the state and, until this week, warded off a determined BJP attempt to oust her party from power.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

"Her success rested on a careful balance: projecting herself as both an uncompromising street fighter and an austere, maternal figure delivering welfare to those living with economic insecurity," says Proma Raychaudhury of Krea University.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Some of the more oddball chapters are great; my particular favorite follows a budding street fighter through a series of battles that plays out like, well, a Street Fighter game.

From The Verge • Jul. 21, 2022

"I am not a street fighter," he raged.

From Captain Macklin by Davis, Richard Harding