SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
skirmish
noun
A small or limited clash or dispute.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Limited clash
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSkirmish suggests a brief or limited conflict. Scuffle commonly involves physical contact, while spat is an informal minor argument.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See skirmish in use
A brief skirmish over seating ended when another table arrived.
A skirmish over the final strip of planting space briefly interrupts the garden drama before either character has touched the disputed tools.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license