as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
this discussion is so silly we might as well altercate on how many angels can dance on the point of a needle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altercate
Verb
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Much of the comedy in this action-comedy arrives via barbed exchanges between the constantly bickering James and Jonny.—
Richard Kuipers,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026 -
The showing had to be aborted after a few shocking scenes of bandmates bickering and Fat Mike blasting lines of cocaine.—
Jim Ruland,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The opposition People Power Party, however, argues that the National Assembly must ratify the trade deal due to the exorbitant costs involved.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
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The overriding factor, Tait argued, is the global debt burden.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Graham, in particular, has been on a war path over the negotiations, accusing Republicans of not fighting hard enough to reclaim the narrative on immigration after the death of Alex Pretti last weekend.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Jan. 2026
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Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski said Lemon plans to plead innocent and fight the charges in Minnesota.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The three bills also are not the first headline-grabbing action from Schroer, who serves as chair of the Senate’s hard-right Freedom Caucus, which frequently quarrels with GOP leadership.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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The championship hopefuls from the Fort Worth area could clash with DeSoto in an eventual playoff run.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
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However, the club’s defensive crisis has eased somewhat, with Ibrahima Konate set to return to the side for Saturday’s home Premier League clash with Newcastle United after missing three matches following the death of his father.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Callie and Arizona: Another couple spatting over kids.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
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Mulroney, Ackerman, Snow, and Newman turn this story of spatting WAGS into an explosive, addictive watch.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Ramsey disputed that characterization.—
Thomas Bordeaux,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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Local officials have disputed that characterization.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As a ballplayer, Kent was as irascible as Bonds; the two alphas reportedly brawled behind clubhouse doors, and famously clashed in the dugout during a 2002 game, when Bonds lunged for Kent’s throat and pushed him against the wall.—
Jeremy Collins,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
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The cabinets inhaled quarters as four players teamed up to brawl their way to save Maggie Simpson or battle Shredder across New York.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
1 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Altercate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altercate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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