as in quarreled
to express different opinions about something often angrily
if you two don't stop bickering about where to go to eat, we're not going out at all!
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Recent Examples of bickered
The video went viral, and the two eventually bickered about it on social media later Sunday night.
—
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
My parents bickered constantly, my sister was demanding and always in a conflict with them, and my grandparents would scream at each other.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
The pair have famously bickered over the past 20 years.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Pointing to elk heads mounted on the wall, the two jokingly bickered over who had bowhunted which.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Jokic and Oklahoma City’s players had bothered each other and bickered all night.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
The actors jokingly bickered about their history with the ceremony, with Cheadle remarking that Clooney hadn’t won since 2026 winner Timothée Chalamet was 3 years old.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Jan. 2026
On 33 occasions since 2017, Congress has been forced to pass emergency extensions to the flood insurance program, as lawmakers bickered over budgets and looming shutdowns threatened to disrupt it, according to a letter the National Association of Realtors sent to Congress ahead of the shutdown.
—Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
In recent years, the companies have bickered about the rise of streaming services, in which the media companies are investing billions of dollars and which lure away cable and satellite customers.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
My parents bickered constantly, my sister was demanding and always in a conflict with them, and my grandparents would scream at each other.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
The pair have famously bickered over the past 20 years.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Pointing to elk heads mounted on the wall, the two jokingly bickered over who had bowhunted which.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Jokic and Oklahoma City’s players had bothered each other and bickered all night.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
The actors jokingly bickered about their history with the ceremony, with Cheadle remarking that Clooney hadn’t won since 2026 winner Timothée Chalamet was 3 years old.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Jan. 2026
On 33 occasions since 2017, Congress has been forced to pass emergency extensions to the flood insurance program, as lawmakers bickered over budgets and looming shutdowns threatened to disrupt it, according to a letter the National Association of Realtors sent to Congress ahead of the shutdown.
—Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
In recent years, the companies have bickered about the rise of streaming services, in which the media companies are investing billions of dollars and which lure away cable and satellite customers.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bickered
Verb
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On Thursday, the Miami City Commission deferred voting on two commissioners’ requests to fund affordable housing and parks in their districts after officials quarreled over which areas in the city have the most pressing needs, an argument that cut to the core of the wealth divide in Miami.—
Tess Riski
April 10,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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Budapest, which has quarreled with its EU partners over support for Ukraine and Russian oil deliveries, has also blocked a 90 billion euro ($103 billion) loan as Kyiv runs low on cash.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rusak argued that runoffs favor Paxton because base voters with the strongest attachment to candidates turn out at higher rates, while casual primary voters often skip the second round.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
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McElmurry argued that no convincing motive was established for why Castillo would permit the beating, and sought to reframe the text message as his client soberly describing that he was being blamed for the attack.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Marner fought through the contact, hit the brakes, deked the puck around Dostál with a nifty move between his legs and potted the goal to give Vegas an early 1-0 lead.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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That is what has sparked the debate within the audiovisual sector that has fought hard for its own identity, its own budget.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Russell and Chamberlain clashed in the playoffs eight times throughout their Hall of Fame careers, with Russell winning seven of those series.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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At the most recent debate, hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52 on May 6, the seven candidates again clashed over housing and immigration, while Becerra and Steyer faced fierce attacks from both sides of the political spectrum, The Los Angeles Times reported.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have also squabbled over who should have the jewel.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
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The holdover Republicans who have remained attached to the party’s old identity (hawkish, pro-Israel, anti-Russia, opposed to anti-Semitism) have squabbled with its newer entrants.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Wait, goaltender Igor Shesterkin — who brawled with New Jersey’s Jacob Markström last week — has boxing coaches?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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On April 3, after UCLA defeated University of Texas in the Final Four, Close apologized to the fans in an ESPN interview about how the two teams brawled over each point.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bickered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bickered. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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