Skirmish

/ˈskɜːmɪʃ/ · noun

Meaning

(military) A brief battle between small groups, usually part of a longer or larger battle or war..

Definitions by Sense

1. (military) A brief battle between small groups, usually part of a longer or larger battle or war.
2. (figuratively, by extension) Any minor dispute.
3. A type of outdoor military style game using paintball or similar weapons.
4. (intransitive) To engage in a minor battle or dispute.

Example Sentences

On 2 March, Chinese border guards with the help of regular PLA forces skillfully ambushed Strelnikov's unit on the ice near Chen Pao, killing him and 30 Soviets in the subsequent skirmish.

The walls are slitted with embrasures through which bowmen could fire, indicating that the belfry also served as a stronghold during border skirmishes.

Three people were arrested after a skirmish in a bar.

Fires which have heretofore been one‐alarm skirmishes are now multialarm small wars.

The deer and the pig and the nilghai were milling round and round in a circle of eight or ten miles radius, while the Eaters of Flesh skirmished round its edge.

Other historians might also remark that […] they have persisted all this time, constantly wrestling and skirmishing and yet never destroying themselves.

Synonyms for skirmish

Antonyms for skirmish

Related Words

Word Forms

• skirmishes
• scirmish
• skirmishing
• skirmished

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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