tiff

noun \ ˈtif \

Definition of tiff

:a petty quarrel

See tiff defined for English-language learners

See tiff defined for kids

Examples of tiff in a Sentence

got into a little tiff about what color sheets to buy for their bed

Recent Examples of tiff from the Web

Far more serious than a tiff with Miley Cyrus that made headlines in 2013, her rocky family relationships threatened to overwhelm her fragile mental state.

— jordan runtagh, PEOPLE.com, "Sinéad O’Connor’s Struggle: Inside the ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ Singer’s Tumultuous Ups and Downs," 10 Aug. 2017
The offending tweet was sent to Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, who’s been locked in an ongoing Twitter tiff with Lord.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "CNN Fires Chief Trump Supporter Jeffrey Lord After ‘Sieg Heil’ Tweet," 10 Aug. 2017
Epic's CEO reportedly got into a tiff with Joe Biden over medical record access.

— Fortune, "Brainstorm Health Daily: August 4, 2017," 4 Aug. 2017
Kasich and Pence got in a tiff this month over their conflicting views on GOP efforts to scrap Obamacare.

— chrissie thompson, Cincinnati.com, "Mike Pence makes nice with John Kasich," 22 July 2017
Exhibit A: Star Wars focuses on the tiff between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but everyone knows Princess Leia is the one to watch.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Sci-Fi Movies That Prove the Future Really Is Female," 22 July 2017
A romantic night cap at Crow's Nest fixes any daytime tiff over refusing to be seen on a tandem bike. 13.

— sarah solomon, Town & Country, "25 Signs You're a Montauk Regular," 21 June 2017
Emanuel wasn't asked at a brief news conference about the latest episode in the increasingly acrimonious public tiff over security near the historic ballpark.

— john byrne, chicagotribune.com, "Emanuel: If Cubs put skyboxes inside Wrigley, team should improve security outside," 9 June 2017
At the end of the show, Angle, who was also in a tiff with McMahon's husband HHH, kissed her.

— gene guillot, NOLA.com, "Previewing 'WWE SmackDown' in New Orleans on Tuesday (June 13) and recapping past events," 8 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tiff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of tiff

1754

tiff Synonyms

Synonyms

altercation, argle-bargle [chiefly British], argy-bargy [chiefly British], battle royal, bicker, brawl, contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, donnybrook, falling-out, fight, hassle, imbroglio, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, rhubarb, row, scrap, set-to, spat, squabble, argument, wrangle

Related Words

clash, run-in, skirmish, tangle, tussle; logomachy; feud, vendetta; attack, contention, dissension (also dissention); debate, difference, disputation; fuss, objection, protest, protestation; affray [chiefly British], fisticuffs, fracas, fray, free-for-all, melee (also mêlée); catfight

tiff

verb

Definition of tiff

intransitive verb

:to have a petty quarrel

Examples of tiff in a Sentence

like any couple, they occasionally tiff, but it's never anything serious

Recent Examples of tiff from the Web

Democrats, who are in the midst of their own political tug-of-war between progressives and centrists, have not yet been able to translate the Republican scandals and Trump tiffs into convincing wins.

— karen tumulty, Washington Post, "The GOP inherits what Trump has wrought," 26 May 2017
Good luck to TIFF artistic director Cameron Bailey, who will be the one with the difficult task of saying no to filmmakers.

— rebecca keegan, HWD, "Finally a Solution to Hollywood’s Gender Problems?," 23 Feb. 2017