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
Beren Cross, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Local spats could now feed into a mass movement that spread far beyond individual disputes between a peasant and a particularly nasty abbot or lord.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Kareem Khadder, CNN, 4 Oct. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for spat
Noun
If that spat was a microdose, Longstaff’s performance was a 90-minute saline drip of all-action brilliance that cured any ailment.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Local spats could now feed into a mass movement that spread far beyond individual disputes between a peasant and a particularly nasty abbot or lord.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
The one charged with assault spat on a person, while the others spat towards people, police said to explain the different charges.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 4 Oct. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for spat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spat
Noun
-
In May, Van Hecke was involved in an altercation in training with then-Brighton team-mate Joao Pedro.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Sanchez, 38, was involved in an altercation with the 69-year-old truck driver in the early-morning hours of Saturday, when police said the driver allegedly stabbed Sanchez while defending himself during a fight.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That gave Congress more power but also offered it more opportunities to bicker and derail the budgetary process.—
Garret Martin,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
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Hip-Hop has equally thrived on legendary quarrels and strong relationships.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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However, lovers’ quarrels or difficulty dealing with children (hissy fits or meltdowns) might occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Though the resentencing hearing would still proceed, Hochman’s office would argue against it in court.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
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The weapon system would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory and put the sort of pressure on Putin that Zelenskyy argues is needed to get the Russians to seriously engage in peace talks.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Payment of the penalty isn’t required until after the dispute resolution process is complete, a state spokesperson said.—
Anjeanette Damon,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Other refinements could include a dispute resolution mechanism and a joint task force to assess project viability.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Davis was a civil rights lawyer who fought to desegregate public schools in Texas.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Among other resources, four engines have also been deployed to fight the wildfire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The controversy erupted when her fans, famously known as Swifties, found clues of AI usage in the twelve videos that housed the clues to the final puzzle.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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After the Bud Light ad campaign ran and online controversy began, Bryan posted on X condemning transphobia.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The soldiers’ pastimes of drinking, gambling, and brawling also offended many Bostonians, who retained the piety of their Pilgrim ancestors.—
Time,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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How The Hardys Defeated DarkState Both teams brawled before the bell rang.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spat. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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