skir·mish
Ë?skÉ™r-mish 
1
: a minor fight in war usually incidental to larger movements
2
a
: a brisk preliminary verbal conflict
b
: a minor dispute or contest between opposing parties
the debate touched off a skirmish
skirmished; skirmishing; skirmishes
skirmisher
noun
Synonyms
Examples of skirmish in a Sentence
Noun
Skirmishes broke out between rebel groups.
Violent skirmishes with the enemy continue despite talks of peace.
Verb
Rebel groups are skirmishing with military forces.
The presidential candidates skirmished over their economic plans.
Recent Examples on the Web
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Houston teammates then ran in to defend their teammate, as well, leading to a skirmish that spilled out of bounds while Lawrence remained on the turf, still on his back, as medical personnel tended to him.
—Andrew Greif, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024
Felix Light, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Dec. 2024
Garcia, who had the backing of the same progressive groups backing Hernandez, frequently skirmished with Gallego.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for skirmish 
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Noun
The ugly scene on a suburban street was a harbinger of skirmishes to come.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Houston teammates then ran in to defend their teammate, as well, leading to a skirmish that spilled out of bounds while Lawrence remained on the turf, still on his back, as medical personnel tended to him.
—Andrew Greif, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024
Verb
Protesters and police skirmished in Georgia’s capital for a fourth straight night on Dec. 1, with signs that opposition was spreading across the country to the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union.
—Felix Light, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Dec. 2024
Garcia, who had the backing of the same progressive groups backing Hernandez, frequently skirmished with Gallego.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for skirmish
Dictionary Entries Near skirmish
Cite this Entry
“Skirmish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skirmish. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
skirmish
1 of 2 noun
skir·mish
Ë?skÉ™r-mish
1
: a minor fight between small bodies of troops
2
: a minor dispute or contest
skirmish
2 of 2 verb1
: to engage in a skirmish
2
: to search about (as for supplies)
skirmisher
noun
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