mel ‧ ée /ˈmeleɪ $ ˈmeɪleɪ, meɪˈleɪ/ BrE AmE noun [countable usually singular]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: French ; Origin: mêlée , from Old French mesler ; ⇨ ↑ meddle ]
a situation in which a lot of people rush around in a confused way:
Luckily no one was hurt in the melée.