skirmishes
Small military encounters
Skirmishes is the plural of skirmish—a brief, small-scale fight, typically between portions of armies rather than their main forces.
The word extends to any minor conflict or dispute: The meeting dissolved into skirmishes over budget priorities.
As a verb, to skirmish is to engage in such encounters: Rival factions skirmished along the border.
Brief disorderly struggle
- tussleBrief physical struggle
- altercationHeated verbal dispute
- brawlDisorderly group fight
- fisticuffsHand-to-hand combat
fracas · affray · rumble · donnybrook · set-to · scrimmage · punch-up · dust-up
Disordered group skirmish
- frayFight or unravel
- encounterUnexpected meeting or confrontation
- assaultViolent offensive act
- struggleLabored effort against resistance
hostilities · volley · salvo · barrage · duel · warfare · siege · fighting
Violent disagreement or collision
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
- spatPetty verbal dispute
- quarrelAngry verbal dispute
- squabbleTrivial noisy argument
row · run-in · brush · feud · kerfuffle · flare-up · friction · showdown
Exchange of gunfire
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- raidSudden armed incursion
- sortieArmed raid outward
guerrilla · reconnaissance · patrol · flanking · hit-and-run · sniping · harassment · infiltration
scuffle
Brief disorderly struggle
- tussleBrief physical struggle
- altercationHeated verbal dispute
- brawlDisorderly group fight
fisticuffs · fracas · affray · rumble · donnybrook · set-to · scrimmage · punch-up · dust-up · ruckus
melee
Disordered group skirmish
struggle · hostilities · volley · salvo · barrage · duel · warfare · siege · fighting · clash
clash
Violent disagreement or collision
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
- spatPetty verbal dispute
- quarrelAngry verbal dispute
squabble · row · run-in · brush · feud · kerfuffle · flare-up · friction · showdown · standoff
firefight
Exchange of gunfire
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- raidSudden armed incursion
sortie · guerrilla · reconnaissance · patrol · flanking · hit-and-run · sniping · harassment · infiltration · feint
- military historybattles, soldiers, campaigns, officers, battlefields
- War of 1812War of 1812, Andrew Jackson, Battle of New Orleans, Fort McHenry, Lake Erie
- conflictsargument, fight, war, battle, dispute
- game modeseasy mode, ranked match, deathmatch, hard mode, practice match
- cavalrycavalry, cavalryman, cavalry brigade, cavalry charges, cavalry officer
- Indian WarsIndian Wars, King Philip's War, frontier wars, Little Bighorn, Wounded Knee
skirmishespitched battles
Formal military engagements
total war · campaigns · sieges · wars · conventional warfare
skirmishespeace
Freedom from disturbance
détente · reconciliation · harmony · cooperation · ceasefire
skirmishesretreat
Sanctuary or withdrawal
withdrawal · disengagement · standoff · avoidance · evasion
- border skirmishesSmall fights at boundaries
- border skirmishMinor fight at boundary
- military skirmishBrief armed engagement, limited scale
- skirmish lineExtended infantry formation
- military skirmishesBrief armed engagements