as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the children squabbled loudly over who got to play with the toy first
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Recent Examples of squabbling
Then there are the lesser houses, the lower fiefdoms squabbling over the crumbs that fall from the big kids’ table.
—
Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026
The squabbling brothers of the north west.
—Ian Irving, New York Times, 3 May 2026
Starting German star Timo Werner for the first time since mid-March, the Earthquakes played compactly before the halftime break, squabbling over the middle of the park with LAFC as both teams fell short in the final third.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
While the other males in the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve’s Kea group spend lots of time squabbling and making threat displays, Bruce is free to wander the aviary and monopolize feeding stations and prime perches, the study reports.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
That’s not because its member countries have suddenly stopped squabbling or its bureaucratic inertia has melted away.
—Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Hulu Sometimes, after a long day at work, there's nothing more comforting than watching a bunch of richer-than-rich investors squabbling over the inventions of eager entrepreneurs.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Feb. 2026
Discovery squabbles Now, attorneys in the ET Gathering and Processing lawsuit are squabbling over the pace of the production of records in the discovery phase.
—Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch, 3 Feb. 2026
Democrats and Republicans continued squabbling over the content of trade policy, but the protectionist impulse largely receded and was replaced by a consensus that lower trade barriers would support economic recovery and advance broader foreign policy goals.
—Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026
The squabbling brothers of the north west.
—Ian Irving, New York Times, 3 May 2026
Starting German star Timo Werner for the first time since mid-March, the Earthquakes played compactly before the halftime break, squabbling over the middle of the park with LAFC as both teams fell short in the final third.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
While the other males in the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve’s Kea group spend lots of time squabbling and making threat displays, Bruce is free to wander the aviary and monopolize feeding stations and prime perches, the study reports.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
That’s not because its member countries have suddenly stopped squabbling or its bureaucratic inertia has melted away.
—Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Hulu Sometimes, after a long day at work, there's nothing more comforting than watching a bunch of richer-than-rich investors squabbling over the inventions of eager entrepreneurs.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Feb. 2026
Discovery squabbles Now, attorneys in the ET Gathering and Processing lawsuit are squabbling over the pace of the production of records in the discovery phase.
—Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch, 3 Feb. 2026
Democrats and Republicans continued squabbling over the content of trade policy, but the protectionist impulse largely receded and was replaced by a consensus that lower trade barriers would support economic recovery and advance broader foreign policy goals.
—Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squabbling
Verb
-
Since then, showrunner Tim Minear and the rest of the writers have played up the actors' natural chemistry, playing into both the characters' bickering dynamic and their willingness to do anything, including risking their lives, for one another.—
Sabienna Bowman,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
-
The two get to bickering about her terrible track record, with Dennis hilariously failing to realize that this accusation includes him among the questionable men.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In recent years, a few prominent detransitioners, including Chloe Cole and Prisha Mosley, have advocated for restrictions on transition care for minors, arguing in lawsuits against doctors who treated them that their care was too easy to access and that doctors failed them.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
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James Ward During the debate, Republican candidate Steve Hilton said that only a small percentage of California has been developed for housing, arguing that the state should focus on building homes on undeveloped land rather than increasing density in existing cities.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The lack of money has, at times, led to quarrelling between the services - most notably pitting the navy against the army and the Royal Air Force.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
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Police said witness accounts indicate that the couple arrived at Zuri Hotel in Zanzibar on April 4 and had been quarreling frequently until the night of April 8, when hotel management separated them and asked McCann to move to a separate villa about a 10-minute walk away.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After a limp 2-0 defeat at Lorient in mid-April, Benatia criticised the players for a lack of fighting spirit.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Democrats are also fighting among themselves.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squabbling. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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