ALTERCATE Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

altercate

verb

ˈȯl-tər-ˌkāt

Definition of altercate

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for altercate

Verb

While the boys bicker over stickball rules, old-timers Keith Hernandez, Willie Randolph and Tom Seaver argue from a stoop.

— Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Kimmel and Damon then bicker over who has a rightful paternal claim to the child, culminating in a pitch-perfect spoof of Maury featuring Short as Povich.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of bicker

Verb

One controversial second of game clock later, Michigan fans were swarming the field to celebrate a Hail Mary that many impartial observers argued shouldn’t have happened.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Gates argued that government and civil society need to move much more quickly.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of argue

Verb

Brian would have to report back home to his louse of a father to fight or be branded a traitor.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026
Though religious thinkers will fight fiercely to show one of the stories to be the one that religion really sanctions, each Abrahamic religion has signposts pointing both ways.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of fight

Verb

There’s an assumption that the second half is Shakespeare’s, but scholars continue to quarrel over attribution.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
In Krisevich’s case, Konovalova repeatedly quarreled with the artist and his wife until the couple ultimately escaped Russia in December 2025.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of quarrel

Verb

In the third game of the season, though, a Thursday night primetime clash with rival TCU, an injury to Mayfield in the fourth quarter of a tie game thrust Webb into action.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Dino recently clashed with Justice André Mendonca, who was appointed by Bolsonaro.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of clash

Verb

Mulroney, Ackerman, Snow, and Newman turn this story of spatting WAGS into an explosive, addictive watch.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2025
Preparation has cultural and regional variations, but the seed is usually chewed with slaked lime and betel leaves, and chewing releases a red juice that's often then spat out.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2025

Definition of spat

Verb

How close that ever came is disputed by different sources who were close to the prospective deal, though talks were held and Howe did hope to finally acquire the player.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Some safety researchers, including Encode’s Nathan Calvin, disputed that reading of OpenAI’s framework at the time.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of dispute

Verb

The teams brawled on the outside for minutes, but the chants started up again.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Well, maybe everyone except for the fans escorted out of the right-field bleachers after brawling, another clip that went viral on social media.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of brawl

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

alterations

altercate

altercated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Altercate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altercate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of altercate

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

volition

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes