When a lot of people suddenly run and push in a messy way — nobody is in a line, nobody is calm — that whole scene is a melée. You hear it when a shop opens a big sale and everyone piles in at the door, or when reporters crowd round a car, or when a ball is loose and many players dive for it at once. Though actually, many people also use it for a messy fight, the kind with no neat sides, just bodies and noise. The two pictures sit close together: a mix-up of people, with or without punches. The word feels a little fancy; in everyday talk someone might just say “a scramble” or “chaos.” Newspapers like it because one word paints the picture. English took it from French, and you will see it spelled melee (no accent), mêlée (the French accent), or melée (this spelling). Same word.

混戰；亂成一團