A bar fight is a brawl. A fight in the cafeteria which turns into a free-for-all can also be called a brawl. A brawl is a noisy fight in a crowd.
Brawl can also be used as a verb—people who are fighting can be said to be brawling, whether or not they are using their fists. Similarly, you can use the word to suggest that a war of words is rough, in the manner of a bar fight—the bride and her mother were engaged in a brawl over the guest list for the big day.
