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bicker 1 of 2

noun

ˈbi-kər How to pronounce bicker (audio)
Definition of bickernext
as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions after a prolonged bicker, they finally managed to find a movie that both of them were interested in seeing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bicker

2 of 2

verb

as in to argue
to express different opinions about something often angrily if you two don't stop bickering about where to go to eat, we're not going out at all!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bicker
Verb
Still bloody in last night’s clothing, the two fill a cart with candy and bicker contentedly about the state of the candy industry—arguably also a wink at the state of film. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 Back at the base, the team is still bickering with the other troopers. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026 Establishment figures such as Jeffries and the party’s 2028 presidential candidates will need to grasp that the relationship between the DSA and the Democratic Party is not one of occasionally bickering siblings, but of parasite and host. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026 Throughout the film, Elle and Tao alternately bicker and give each other the silent treatment over Elle’s plans to go to Berlin after graduation to pursue a career as an artist. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bicker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bicker
  1. quarrel
  2. argue
  3. dispute
  4. fight
  5. disagreement
  6. spat
  7. altercation
  8. squabble
Noun
  • Unlike Christian priests and medicine men, who generally command respect, rainmakers are sometimes seen as malicious people who retaliate against whole communities for quarrels with their neighbors.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors told a judge on Saturday that the encounter that led to a man being pushed to his death from a moving CTA Red Line train earlier this month began with a quarrel that escalated when the victim spat on two people.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of quarrel
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
Noun
  • OpenAI finished the job less than a day later—timing that has led to a heated dispute between the latter two mathematicians and the company.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The dispute dates to March, when the government of then-President Rodrigo Chaves Robles closed Costa Rica’s embassy in Havana and gave Cuban diplomats until the end of the month to leave.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispute
Verb
  • Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian forces against the TPLF in that conflict.
    — SAMUEL GETACHEW, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Lord Lovat is out on the road in an attempt to collect Fraser men to fight under his banner for the Jacobites.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • The organization believes some of these conversations and disagreements among board members are drawing time and attention away from students, many of whom are Hispanic and come from Spanish-speaking backgrounds.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The disagreement came as Zambia was seeking to attract more investment into its copper and other critical-minerals industries while maintaining longstanding economic ties with China and developing closer commercial relations with the US.
    — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of disagreement
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
Noun
  • The fatal incident began as a verbal altercation that ensued between Bickham and the group of four people, according to prosecutors.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • There was an alleged altercation between Dycus and a player’s parent in the locker room following Monday night’s 42-8 loss to New Smyrna Beach.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of altercation
Verb
  • There were the two seen squabbling with Jackie last month, another Shadow batted out of the nest before Luna and Sandy left and now eaglet KD1 is making her presence known.
    — Joy Benedict, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The squabbling banter between the two is priceless, even endearing.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Definition of squabble

Browse Nearby Words

bichrome
bicker
bickered
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Cite this Entry

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

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