: a noisy altercation or quarrel usually over petty matters
Examples of squabble in a Sentence
Noun
frightened by noise of the squabble, the cat hid under the couch
Verb
The children were squabbling over the toys.
the children squabbled loudly over who got to play with the toy first
Recent Examples on the Web
Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
The issue of state prosecutors pursuing criminal charges against immigration agents has been a matter of public debate as well as the subject of an unusually public squabble between Burke and Mayor Brandon Johnson.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
The founders squabbled 11 years more over the Constitution, and states took another two years to ratify it.
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squabble
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Noun
But the amount of water flowing downstream has been dropping due to a long-term drought at the same time, causing squabbles among the states over who gets how much for farming, drinking and industrial uses.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
The issue of state prosecutors pursuing criminal charges against immigration agents has been a matter of public debate as well as the subject of an unusually public squabble between Burke and Mayor Brandon Johnson.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
Out on the Florida Panhandle, oceanfront-property owners squabble with the public over beach access.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
The founders squabbled 11 years more over the Constitution, and states took another two years to ratify it.
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squabble
Cite this Entry
“Squabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squabble. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
squabble
1 of 2 noun
squab·ble
ˈskwäb-əl 
: a noisy quarrel usually over unimportant things
squabble
2 of 2 verb
squabbled; squabbling
ˈskwäb-(ə-)liŋ
: to quarrel noisily for little or no reason : wrangle
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