as in quarreled
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!
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Recent Examples of bickered
The video went viral, and the two eventually bickered about it on social media later Sunday night.
—
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
My parents bickered constantly, my sister was demanding and always in a conflict with them, and my grandparents would scream at each other.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
The pair have famously bickered over the past 20 years.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Pointing to elk heads mounted on the wall, the two jokingly bickered over who had bowhunted which.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Jokic and Oklahoma City’s players had bothered each other and bickered all night.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
The actors jokingly bickered about their history with the ceremony, with Cheadle remarking that Clooney hadn’t won since 2026 winner Timothée Chalamet was 3 years old.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Jan. 2026
On 33 occasions since 2017, Congress has been forced to pass emergency extensions to the flood insurance program, as lawmakers bickered over budgets and looming shutdowns threatened to disrupt it, according to a letter the National Association of Realtors sent to Congress ahead of the shutdown.
—Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
In recent years, the companies have bickered about the rise of streaming services, in which the media companies are investing billions of dollars and which lure away cable and satellite customers.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
My parents bickered constantly, my sister was demanding and always in a conflict with them, and my grandparents would scream at each other.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
The pair have famously bickered over the past 20 years.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Pointing to elk heads mounted on the wall, the two jokingly bickered over who had bowhunted which.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Jokic and Oklahoma City’s players had bothered each other and bickered all night.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
The actors jokingly bickered about their history with the ceremony, with Cheadle remarking that Clooney hadn’t won since 2026 winner Timothée Chalamet was 3 years old.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Jan. 2026
On 33 occasions since 2017, Congress has been forced to pass emergency extensions to the flood insurance program, as lawmakers bickered over budgets and looming shutdowns threatened to disrupt it, according to a letter the National Association of Realtors sent to Congress ahead of the shutdown.
—Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
In recent years, the companies have bickered about the rise of streaming services, in which the media companies are investing billions of dollars and which lure away cable and satellite customers.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bickered
Verb
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On Thursday, the Miami City Commission deferred voting on two commissioners’ requests to fund affordable housing and parks in their districts after officials quarreled over which areas in the city have the most pressing needs, an argument that cut to the core of the wealth divide in Miami.—
Tess Riski
April 10,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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Budapest, which has quarreled with its EU partners over support for Ukraine and Russian oil deliveries, has also blocked a 90 billion euro ($103 billion) loan as Kyiv runs low on cash.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Albares argued that none of this ought to threaten Spain’s many bonds to the United States.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
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While the election result will not change the composition of Britain's parliament or its government, some lawmakers have argued the outcome was a protest from the electorate against Starmer's policy mix.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Margaret moved into his battle station and fought bravely, sustaining three gunshot wounds, until the British captured the post.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
-
As technology continues to advance, drone warfare will likely become more autonomous, more widespread, and more decisive, fundamentally altering the way battles are fought.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The conservative Legislature in Nashville has clashed repeatedly with Memphis and accused its leaders of broad mismanagement.—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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The conservative legislature in Nashville has clashed repeatedly with Memphis and accused its leaders of broad mismanagement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have also squabbled over who should have the jewel.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
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The holdover Republicans who have remained attached to the party’s old identity (hawkish, pro-Israel, anti-Russia, opposed to anti-Semitism) have squabbled with its newer entrants.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Wait, goaltender Igor Shesterkin — who brawled with New Jersey’s Jacob Markström last week — has boxing coaches?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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On April 3, after UCLA defeated University of Texas in the Final Four, Close apologized to the fans in an ESPN interview about how the two teams brawled over each point.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bickered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bickered. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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