slap fight
Palms-only combat sport
A slap fight is a physical altercation consisting entirely of open-handed slaps rather than punches—undignified and ineffective compared to a real fight.
The term often describes figurative conflicts that are petty, theatrical, or lacking real stakes: The debate devolved into a slap fight over procedural rules.
Also written as one word.
- open handUnclenched, spread fingers
- squabbleTrivial noisy argument
- spatPetty verbal dispute
- fisticuffsHand-to-hand combat
- scuffleBrief disorderly struggle
siblings · sibling rivalry · tussle · schoolyard · playful · slapstick · harmless · comedy · lovetap · playground · nonviolent · meme · shove · recess · sparring · feud · quarrel · argument
- fightsbrawl, scuffle, scrap, tussle, fistfight
- roughhousingroughhouse, roughhousing, rough play, rough and tumble, horseplay
- mock combatsparring, war games, paintball, laser tag, airsoft
slap fightdeath match
Contest ending in fatality
mortal combat · boxing match · fistfight · gladiatorial combat · brawl
slap fightembrace
Hold closely in arms
hug · handshake · peace treaty · reconciliation · cooperation
slap fightpeace talks
Formal conflict-resolution discussions
negotiation · diplomatic resolution · mediation · truce · armistice
slap, fight, slaps, slapped, slapping, slapper, fights, fought, fighting