bickering

Definition of bickeringnext
present participle of bicker

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 bickering There’s striker Josie Gordon, bickering twin sisters Siobhan and Niamh, glove-shunning goalie Katie ‘Boots’ Quinn and couple Maddie and Margy. Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Back at the base, the team is still bickering with the other troopers. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026 After bickering with Percy over her involvement in the mission, Thalia ultimately drives away from the scene. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 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 Several weeks back, Clark and White were caught bickering during a timeout huddle against the expansion Portland Fire. Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026 The emotional distress may have stemmed from the family's extended trip together and bickering, his mother told USA TODAY on June 3. Saleen Martin, USA Today, 3 June 2026 While the concrete cured, the starting eight matches of the first-ever World Cup were relocated to Pocitos and Gran Parque Central, the home grounds of capital rivals Peñarol and Nacional, who'd been bickering since their first meeting in July 1900. Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2026 SpaceX and the Pentagon have been bickering about the price of using Starshield satellite service during the Iran war, according to a Reuters report published today. ArsTechnica, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bickering
Verb
  • O’Leary, who owns multimillion-dollar homes in Florida, Massachusetts, and Toronto, has made the point to shop at Walmart on numerous occasions—long arguing that there’s no reason to pay more for everyday essentials when a cheaper option will do.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Nevada promptly sued, arguing the plan is untenable for Las Vegas.
    Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In another clip, a student records himself quarreling with a teacher asking him to take out his notes.
    Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Now might not seem the moment for Democrats to be quarrelling, but many of them believe that the only way to build the Party back up is to remake it.
    Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • Body camera footage shows that Jonah Neal did not pose a threat that warranted deadly force when a member of the federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis shot him in late May, according to a lawyer representing his family.
    Juliana Kim, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Surveillance video obtained by ABC7 New York shows two men fighting in the street before gunshots ring out, and a vehicle swerves around the moped, appearing to flee the scene.
    Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
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
Verb
  • Get used to Aledo clashing with Carroll The scrimmage between the Dragons and Bearcats holds no weight.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Lang and other anti-Islam protesters marched in Dearborn in November 2025, clashing with counter-protesters and claiming the area is not friendly to those who are non-Muslim.
    Heath Kalb, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Well, maybe everyone except for the fans escorted out of the right-field bleachers after brawling, another clip that went viral on social media.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Massive fights erupted at the Wisconsin State Fair during its chaotic closing hours Sunday, with viral video showing people in crowds throwing punches and brawling as police moved in to break up the mayhem.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Perhaps counterintuitively, 40 years of wrangling point not toward banning surrogacy, but to the steps needed to regulate it.
    Arthur L. Caplan, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026
  • After weeks of behind-the-scenes wrangling, the CPUC voted unanimously to approve two settlement agreements with Charter that allow the merger to move forward.
    Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bickering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bickering. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!