variants
or quarrelling
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the coach and the referee quarreled about whether the ball was in bounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quarreling
Her father, after quarreling with Antigone’s mother, locked her out of their house overnight, which led to a terrible accident.
—
Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Lydon’s revelation comes after years of quarreling with guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
The family is reportedly quarreling over Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal roles after their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had his titles taken away.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 13 Nov. 2025
The discovery was entirely by chance, and happened when an officer responded to Mirella's parents' residence after neighbors reported quarreling, per several outlets.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
The political malaise risks metastasizing into an economic crisis because the quarreling political parties cannot agree on a way forward, such as passing a budget and addressing the country's alarming budget deficit and mounting national debt.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Will the two be allowed to wed, or will Ellen’s brothers, quarrelling over their father’s chair, bargain her off to other suitors to improve their chances?
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Lydon’s revelation comes after years of quarreling with guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
The family is reportedly quarreling over Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal roles after their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had his titles taken away.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 13 Nov. 2025
The discovery was entirely by chance, and happened when an officer responded to Mirella's parents' residence after neighbors reported quarreling, per several outlets.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
The political malaise risks metastasizing into an economic crisis because the quarreling political parties cannot agree on a way forward, such as passing a budget and addressing the country's alarming budget deficit and mounting national debt.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Will the two be allowed to wed, or will Ellen’s brothers, quarrelling over their father’s chair, bargain her off to other suitors to improve their chances?
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarreling
Verb
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At the time of the invite, Congress was furiously bickering over a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, as Democrats refused to allocate funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Jenna is frustrated at his lack of seriousness, and Daisy wishes her department would stop bickering for once.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Greenwood Village Police Department investigators said the men had been arguing while driving with two other people in the SUV when Hernandez pulled over and everyone but Hernandez got out of the vehicle to cool down.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
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The city sued, arguing the Angels were violating the lease, but a jury sided with the baseball team.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some of Miranda’s constituents are still fighting the city’s stadium plan, including its cost to taxpayers, which grew again in February to $135 million.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Nissie Cadette took the mic and spoke about what an influence Metayer had been on her life, fighting through tears at every word.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quarreling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarreling. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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