skirmish

noun
UK: /ˈskɜː.mɪʃ/
US: /ˈskɝː.mɪʃ/

  1. A brief fight between two groups of people, especially soldiers.

    1. The troops had a quick skirmish with the enemy near the border.
    2. Yesterday, there was a brief skirmish between rebels and government forces in the city center.

  2. A short argument.

    1. They had a small skirmish over who would do the dishes tonight.
    2. The debate turned into a political skirmish between the two candidates during the rally.

Synonyms

fight dispute battle encounter brawl clash argument
skirmish intransitive-verb

  1. To take part in a brief fight or argument.

    1. The soldiers skirmish with the enemy.
    2. Protesters started to skirmish with police near the government building last night.
skirmish transitive-verb

  1. To engage in a brief fight with an opposing group.

    1. The patrol skirmished with rebel soldiers.
    2. Our troops skirmished briefly with the enemy before retreating to the main defensive line.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "skirmish" in English means: A brief fight between two groups of people, especially soldiers., A short argument..

The phonetic transcription of "skirmish" is /ˈskɜː.mɪʃ/ in British English and /ˈskɝː.mɪʃ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "skirmish": fight, dispute, battle, encounter, brawl, clash, argument.

Example usage of "skirmish": "The troops had a quick skirmish with the enemy near the border.". More examples on the page.