as in altercation
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
like any couple, they have their spats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
we tend to spat over money more than anything else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of spat
Lora Kolodny,ari Levy, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
Slip one of these spats from GIR into your suitcase for all of your mixing needs.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Liam Stack, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Aug. 2023
South Carolina was on the east bank and Georgia on the west; the temperature was in the fifties, and gray clouds spat water in our faces.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for spat
Noun
Musk’s attacks on Navarro represent the most public spat between members of President Trump’s inner circle since the term began in January, and show that the steep tariffs announced last week on more than 180 countries and territories don’t have universal approval in the administration.
—Lora Kolodny,ari Levy, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
Slip one of these spats from GIR into your suitcase for all of your mixing needs.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
The teenager first asked the hotel to forgive him, the lawsuit said, but soon flew into a rage, screaming that the hotel was antisemitic and that its employees spat in people’s food.
—Liam Stack, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Aug. 2023
South Carolina was on the east bank and Georgia on the west; the temperature was in the fifties, and gray clouds spat water in our faces.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for spat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spat
Noun
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Panthers center Sam Bennett, who had a contentious altercation with Marchand in Round 2 of the playoffs last year, said Marchand’s first message after being added to the team group chat was a chirp.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
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The footage shows an altercation between Perez and a man that officials say lasted for about 15 minutes before officers arrived on the scene.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Sorrell also said bickering by leadership is affecting the community.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
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Pratt, whose character plays like a cross between Han Solo and Jack Burton, is gifted with a moment or two, bickering with Herman like a married couple and yeeting cars at Sentre headquarters.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The quarrel escalated into a fight, and Hernandez was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen, cops said.—
Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
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As the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks squabble over Cyprus in the background, the men before us quarrel over everything—a woman, a job, a handkerchief.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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And some would argue that the lawsuits from NYT and others against OpenAI or other model companies represent a case of this.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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At the start of proceedings, prosecutors presented their case by arguing Yoon lacked the legal grounds to declare martial law and accused him of trying to paralyse state institutions such as parliament.—
Joyce Lee,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Book dispute is one of three religious rights cases The case is one of three religious rights cases the Supreme Court is deciding in the coming weeks, and appears likely to be part of a recent trend of the court siding with religious rights advocates.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Besides brokering negotiations for private employers, the mediators handle worker grievances; train joint labor-management committees; appoint arbitrators if a dispute cannot be resolved; and assist with negotiation impasses in the federal sector.—
Los Angeles Times,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the final season of the Emmy-winning drama series, June will fight to take down Gilead with Luke and Moira joining the resistance, per Hulu.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
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No medication cures measles, only time and the hope that a child’s body can fight it.—
Dan Sweeney,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Despite the controversy, for the Hilton, that doesn't change the imperative to serve.—
Major Garrett,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2025
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Now, with the controversy behind him, Benn has the opportunity to finally face Eubank in the ring.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The troubles escalated in 2023, when patients brawled, a patient was raped by his roommate and another patient died under suspicious circumstances.—
Katie Mettler,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2025
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Read the interview » J. D. Vance brawls with the Catholic Church.—
Ian Crouch,
The New Yorker,
12 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spat. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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