melee
Many-sided street scuffle
A melee is a confused, close-quarters fight involving multiple combatants—a brawl or scuffle where it's hard to tell who's hitting whom: The protest devolved into a melee with police.
In gaming, melee refers to hand-to-hand combat as opposed to ranged attacks: melee weapons, melee damage.
More loosely, any chaotic struggle or free-for-all: a melee of competing interests.
Hand-to-hand combat
- scuffleBrief disorderly struggle
- tussleBrief physical struggle
- scrapDiscarded bit or tussle
- skirmishBrief, limited combat
altercation · fracas · affray · donnybrook · punch-up · dust-up · ruckus · rumble
State of utter confusion
- bedlamState of wild disorder
- mayhemViolent disorder and destruction
- turmoilViolent disturbance or confusion
- havocWidespread destruction and chaos
commotion · uproar · tumult · disorder · anarchy · frenzy · riot · madness
At grappling distance
- close quartersRestricted space, minimal distance
- swordplayArt of fighting with blades
- grapplingClose-quarters combat technique
- wrestlingCombat sport requiring holds
brawling · infighting · clinch · blade work · knife fight · close combat · bayonet · trench warfare
fisticuffs
Hand-to-hand combat
skirmish · altercation · fracas · affray · donnybrook · punch-up · dust-up · ruckus · rumble · free-for-all
pandemonium
State of utter confusion
- bedlamState of wild disorder
- mayhemViolent disorder and destruction
- turmoilViolent disturbance or confusion
havoc · commotion · uproar · tumult · disorder · anarchy · frenzy · riot · madness · confusion
hand-to-hand
At grappling distance
- close quartersRestricted space, minimal distance
- swordplayArt of fighting with blades
- grapplingClose-quarters combat technique
wrestling · brawling · infighting · clinch · blade work · knife fight · close combat · bayonet · trench warfare · boarding action
attack
Aggressive act against another
fighter · berserker · barbarian · rogue · slash · strike · cleave · combo · hitbox · stagger
- combat artssword fighting, swordfighting, boxing, wrestling, grappling
- combat rangeclose range, short range, medium range, long range, point blank
- combat tacticsflanking, ambush, feint, skirmish, firefight
- infantry tacticsfire and maneuver, flanking maneuver, battle drills, defensive positions, ambush tactics
- chivalryknighthood, knights, chivalry, medieval knights, honor
- conflictclash, fight, war, battle, dispute
meleeorder
Methodical arrangement or request
formation · organization · calm · stillness · discipline
meleeduel
Prearranged one-on-one combat
single combat · one-on-one · artillery barrage · sniper fire · archery
- melee weaponsArms requiring physical contact
- melee combatFighting at arm's length
- melee attackBlow dealt at close range