skirmish
22
6.4
- noun
- /ˈskɜːrmɪʃ/
:
escaramuza
- In that skirmish, two Sikh students were killed at the hands of police.
- a minor skirmish
- a border skirmish
- the first skirmish
Instead, the campaign was largely one of small skirmishes and short sieges.
- Instead, the campaign was largely one of small skirmishes and short sieges.
- There are little skirmishes in between, but nothing too big.
- And you don't want the US military getting, you know, in skirmishes with anyone, but especially, you know, a major power like China.
- They recognize it as a terrorist encampment, formed a skirmish line on the trees on the uphill side and just started pouring rifle fire down into the camp.
- I think there's some skirmishes, but that was it.
- Really wasn't like it was occasional skirmishes with neighboring groups and stuff, but like it wasn't that bad.
- When he is killed in a skirmish, he brings with him his young sons how Hannibal is the oldest.
- They had a little skirmish up there, but they they beat him and then they, yeah, it's like I said last night, that was drain pipe that that flag was put on.
Examples
-
This skirmish was simply a patrol to test our strength!
-
A serious border skirmish took place in 1967 near the Nathu La Pass.
Academic text (1997) -
How does it go from a skirmish between a few nations to a global war?
-
But last night she took something and well, it led to a skirmish in the street.
-
The other men were on the far side of the skirmish line, too far away to help immediately.
Fiction book (1994) -
Now, what happened here was just an opening skirmish.
-
And I look forward to meeting you in person once this little skirmish has been concluded.
-
Instead, the campaign was largely one of small skirmishes and short sieges.
-
Basalisa's caravan encountered a Portuguese patrol and a skirmish broke out.
Academic text (2000) -
There was a sudden skirmish between the patrol and the enemy troops near the border.
Synonyms
105
3.2
A short conflict between people or groups
60
4.6
A noisy, violent fight among a group in a public place
50
3.9
A short contact with something dangerous or harmful
50
6.5
A noisy fight involving several people
25
3.7
A short, rough fight between people, not usually serious
21
4.2
A short fight between people, often over little things
14
4.8
A short, rough fight that is noisy or confused
4
7.5
A noisy fight where people push each other
1
8.4
A noisy fight between several people, often in public places
A quick, minor fight between people or animals
A short minor fight between people that ends quickly
Antonyms
Compounds
How Violent
Surface Forms
Etymology
Skirmish comes from an old French word eschermir that meant 'to shield' or 'to defend'. It was used for quick fights at the front of an army, so a skirmish today is a short, small fight or clash.