a fight► fight · There was a massive fight after school yesterday.in a fight · Three of his ribs were broken in a fight.get into a fight · He had been at the pub for several hours before getting into a fight with another man.a fight breaks out · A couple of fights broke out near the stadium after the game.be in a fight · How did you get that black eye? Were you in a fight?
► punch-up British informal a fight: · He ended up in jail after a punch-up with a bloke in the pub.get into a punch-up: · Some drunks began calling us names and we ended up getting into a punch-up.
► brawl a fight between a group of people in a public place, especially when they are drunk: · No one was injured in the brawl, which police quickly stopped.· He got his face cut in a brawl outside a nightclub.
► scuffle a short fight that is not very violent and which usually only involves people pushing each other: · There was a brief scuffle as the crowd left the football ground.a scuffle breaks out (=starts suddenly): · Rioters threw stones at the police and a few scuffles broke out.
► scrap a short fight, especially between children: · Scraps in the playground are a pretty frequent occurrence.have a scrap: · It's normal for brothers and sisters to have a few scraps. It's part of growing up.
► altercation formal a short noisy argument or fight, especially one that is not serious: · There was a brief altercation and someone called the police.