as in quarrels
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
judging from all the slamming and banging, I'd say there was some sort of altercation going on next door
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Recent Examples of altercations
Unfortunately, the launch of the Bearista cup didn’t go as expected, with merchandise shortages nationwide and physical altercations breaking out at some locations, leaving many customers empty-handed.
—
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Nov. 2025
Other behaviors that commonly cause altercations during flights include shouting, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, and reclining your seat without consideration for the person sitting behind.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Masters of provocation, the Nazi paramilitaries often marched through left-wing neighborhoods, hoping for violent altercations.
—Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Many of the people devouring YoungBoy’s endless stream of new music have also been devouring news of his various altercations and legal cases.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
Hubert Mazur, Ray Collins and Jocelyne Robledo were also detained at the protests after engaging in physical altercations with federal officers, according to the court documents.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
Across Jefferson County Public Schools, the ban is being credited for an uptick in library books being checked out, an increase in student participation and a decrease in altercations.
—Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
According to the study, tailgating and verbal altercations are down 24% and 17%, respectively, since that time, but cutting vehicles off and honking out of anger are both up 67% and 47%, respectively.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
The citations and altercations came to a head on June 2, Daniels said, when Del Toro called Lee’s Summit police to break up a last-day-of-school barbecue that Daniels was hosting for some other families.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Nov. 2025
Other behaviors that commonly cause altercations during flights include shouting, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, and reclining your seat without consideration for the person sitting behind.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Masters of provocation, the Nazi paramilitaries often marched through left-wing neighborhoods, hoping for violent altercations.
—Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Many of the people devouring YoungBoy’s endless stream of new music have also been devouring news of his various altercations and legal cases.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
Hubert Mazur, Ray Collins and Jocelyne Robledo were also detained at the protests after engaging in physical altercations with federal officers, according to the court documents.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
Across Jefferson County Public Schools, the ban is being credited for an uptick in library books being checked out, an increase in student participation and a decrease in altercations.
—Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
According to the study, tailgating and verbal altercations are down 24% and 17%, respectively, since that time, but cutting vehicles off and honking out of anger are both up 67% and 47%, respectively.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
The citations and altercations came to a head on June 2, Daniels said, when Del Toro called Lee’s Summit police to break up a last-day-of-school barbecue that Daniels was hosting for some other families.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altercations
Noun
-
Margolick devotes much space to the writers’ quarrels, their gripes, their resentment of one another.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Hip-Hop has equally thrived on legendary quarrels and strong relationships.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Thousands of both Christians and Muslims have been killed, with violence also stemming from non-religious disputes, such as those over natural resources.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The ongoing 36-day closure has sparked disputes over a range of topics — from the separation of powers and the federal workforce, to food assistance and air traffic control.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Over the course of the hour-long runtime, all the girls bring their lingering tensions and disagreements to the table and air everything out.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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Democrats gathered for a conference hosted by progressives were sneering at Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who was not present, for shutting down popular new faces based on disagreements over specific issues.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Democratic crackup that’s now underway in Washington is distracting the party from a series of brutal fights just ahead that will culminate in next year’s midterms.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Martin's fights, namely her 1996 match against Deirdre Gogarty, brought women's boxing to a whole new audience.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
National news remains fixated on controversies at elite campuses, skewing the public’s perception of the institutions that serve the majority of students.—
Yolanda Watson Spiva,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Several controversies have circled the production, including criticism from Paris Jackson.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The film followed Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), a mainland refugee trying to pay his way to a fake ID by winning bare-knuckle brawls.—
Marcus Lim,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Both are perfectly capable of turning sequences that teeter on the edge of bathos into brawls.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Two of the Democratic standard-bearers to emerge from last week’s elections—Abigail Spanberger, the incoming governor of Virginia, and Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City—have emphasized different sides of these arguments in recent days.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
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While medically assisted suicide isn’t a mainstream cause of any one political party, conversations about potential legislation happen more in progressive circles and often in connection with arguments about bodily autonomy.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With Mercury retrograde stirring your third and fourth houses, misunderstandings at home or with loved ones could test your patience.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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Experts believe that misunderstandings about who needs screenings and how often may be part of the reason some women skip mammograms.—
Dr. Allyson Heng,
ABC News,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Altercations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altercations. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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