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 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
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
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
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
-
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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Both France and Padres manager Craig Stammen argued the call and replays seemed to clearly show the base of the ball was entirely in foul ground.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The trust has said that recognizes the need for a larger meeting space at the White House, but argued that only Congress could authorize it.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The war with Iran is now the second major conflict to demonstrate that the age of mass drone warfare has fully arrived — and with it, a fundamental shift in how conflicts are fought.—
Alexander Benard,
Washington Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Over 40 Illinois municipalities have since adopted these harmful policies, while many simultaneously fought to prevent social service providers from helping people survive and transition out of homelessness.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But that clashed with the team’s offseason strategy.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
John Phelan clashed with Hegseth and other senior officials over efforts to revive US shipbuilding.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Quiet Maryam and mercurial Farhan—eight years apart—had often squabbled, gone through periods of not talking, but without her sister as a foil, Maryam was diminished.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
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 1 May. 2026.
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