as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
there was a bit of a contretemps over the seating arrangements for the upcoming wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contretemps
Moore’s personal biography – despite these minor contretemps – proved more than compelling enough for Maryland voters.
—
Peniel E. Joseph,
CNN,
9 Nov. 2022
To outsiders, the summer’s weeks-long contretemps over the prime minister’s after-hours activities might seem like a tempest in a Nordic teapot.
—
Michael Hunt,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Sep. 2022
The Dallas visit avoided the contretemps of the Washington portion of the trip.
—
Dallas News,
2 June 2022
The normally dignified sport had a brief contretemps at the time of the opening game this year.
—
New York Times,
1 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for contretemps
Peniel E. Joseph,
CNN,
9 Nov. 2022
To outsiders, the summer’s weeks-long contretemps over the prime minister’s after-hours activities might seem like a tempest in a Nordic teapot.
—
Michael Hunt,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Sep. 2022
The Dallas visit avoided the contretemps of the Washington portion of the trip.
—
Dallas News,
2 June 2022
The normally dignified sport had a brief contretemps at the time of the opening game this year.
—
New York Times,
1 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for contretemps
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contretemps
Noun
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The victim got into a quarrel inside Bob’s Classic Barber Shop on Albany Ave.
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Rounding out the top five names were seven write-in votes for the Sacramento Capitals or Capitols — which could be nicknamed the Caps to avoid quarrels over the spelling — and six votes for the Sacramento Stingers or Sting, referencing the collegiate Sacramento State Hornets.
Noun
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The altercation involving Sandoval, Robinson and her father happened in the early morning hours after the couple returned home from a night out at a bar, according to both accounts.
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Angelo and the woman’s fiancé got into a brief altercation that resulted in an exchange of gunfire.
Noun
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Herzog won a power struggle in the front office, then quit anyway, amid disputes with ownership.
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The court was established in 2001 and began functioning four years later as both an international court to settle disputes among Caribbean countries and as a final court of appeal.
Noun
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Test your knowledge of cruise controversies, wedding whispers and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.
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Williams’ decision to leave the position was a big surprise to the mayor, commissioners and residents, though her departure followed months of controversy and scrutiny.
Noun
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Some states chose not to send representatives; several of them cited disagreements with the partisan mission.
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The city commission reached a major step forward on the project after months of delays and disagreements over the best way to replace the old City Hall, which was damaged beyond repair by the historic flooding of April 2023.
Noun
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But Erwin Chemerinsky, Berkeley’s law school dean, said Trump still won most of the cases the court decided either after oral arguments or through emergency appeals the administration brought.
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Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle told KTVI that the incident happened after an argument erupted inside the BP gas station at South Florissant and Woodstock roads.
Noun
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What is clear is that centrist Democrats haven’t mounted much of a fight.
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Railing against a new crop of progressive candidates has emerged as a more animating focus for a president who thrills to a fight.
Noun
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Eventually, the imbroglio faded away.
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Lina Abushouk, analyzing the imbroglio for the website Africa Is a Country, observed that the story’s stylistic quirks revealed the formal and expressive qualities that Euro-American publishers expect and demand from African and Caribbean authors.
Cite this Entry
“Contretemps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contretemps. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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