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
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
Communists and socialists bickered over doctrine and orthodoxy.
—Kornel Chang
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
During the squabble, Darcey and Georgi bickered about the communication issues impacting their relationship, leaving Georgi’s parents Ginka and Ivan concerned about how healthy their son’s relationship was.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
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
Communists and socialists bickered over doctrine and orthodoxy.
—Kornel Chang
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
During the squabble, Darcey and Georgi bickered about the communication issues impacting their relationship, leaving Georgi’s parents Ginka and Ivan concerned about how healthy their son’s relationship was.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 1 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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Don Weilhammer said that the preliminary investigation found that the argument and subsequent shooting began after the two involved allegedly argued over Pokémon cards, Fox 59 reported.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Yee argued California is ready for a change in leadership.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For decades, activists and ecologists have fought to take advantage of our watershed for recreational and community life, with remarkable success.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The company fought to preserve that business.—
Binyamin Appelbaum,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the other side of the country, police clashed with demonstrators to reopen the Galway docks after a military vehicle was used to knock down a makeshift barrier.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The vote is seen as critical for Europe and Ukraine, as the Kremlin-friendly Orbán has often clashed with European Union partners, notably over funding Kyiv's budget and war effort.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The founders squabbled 11 years more over the Constitution, and states took another two years to ratify it.—
Jackie Calmes,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 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 17 Apr. 2026.
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