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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for altercate

Verb

Like law enforcement agents everywhere, they’re disposed to bickering about jurisdiction or pumping each other for off-limits information.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of bicker

Verb

The Chicago Teachers Union pushed to be part of the program anyway, arguing every dollar would help stave off potential layoffs or program cuts.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
When asked to make his case to midterm voters in an interview last week, Vice President JD Vance argued that Americans should give his party more time to deliver.

— Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of argue

Verb

But for Benjamin Franklin, the Haudenosaunee’s federal governing model was a perfect solution for how to get quarreling colonies to work together.

— Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of quarrel

Verb

In his first major interview about his tell-all memoir, Tyler Hassen describes the culture clash surrounding DOGE’s mission and the backlash that followed.

— Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026
On the edges of the empire, speakers of Germanic dialects, such as the Goths and Vandals, frequently clashed with the Romans, eventually contributing to the fragmentation of the empire.

— Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 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 much the company could collect, and how the costs would be divided, remains disputed.

— Akshaya Jha, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
But only five years later, in November 2020, the military’s proxy party lost a second consecutive election and, three months later, after disputing the results, seized power through a coup.

— Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of dispute

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Browse Nearby Words

alterations

altercate

altercated

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“Altercate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altercate. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of altercate

verb

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