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 Like law enforcement agents everywhere, they’re disposed to bickering about jurisdiction or pumping each other for off-limits information. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bickering
Verb
  • Headwaters responded by sending a letter to city council members, arguing that such a moratorium could violate its due process rights.
    — Naomi Nix, Time, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Nab is among the data centers’ proponents, arguing that data is the industry of the future.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The two were among two quarreling groups inside the club that began to fight, according to the report.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Sunday, a caller reported hearing two men quarreling and someone stating that a person would be taken into custody.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • There’s such a funny contrast between the peaceful idea of gardening and the absolute chaos of fighting your friends.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The formula helps reduce the risk of damage with a conditioning and strengthening blend of sunflower seed oil, hydrolyzed rice protein, and glycerin, which are also all heroes at fighting color-fading and dryness.
    — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Mills, sympathetic to conspiratorial beliefs about the 2020 election and hailed by some election skeptics as a champion of voting integrity, has long clashed with members, squabbling over his power.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Later in the day, on the other hand, the artificial grass was hardly visible under the beach towels, and there were parents with squabbling children doing cannonballs into the pool.
    — Elvira Navarro, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.
    — ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Aside from clashing over national topics like tariffs, the Iran war, artificial intelligence and Social Security, the candidates were asked about jobs in Michigan, the auto industry and education.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Her father and mother had divorced, but Juan Fernandez’s legend had been fixed as a brawling union leader and New Mexico state legislator.
    — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • On the night of January 14, after some drinking, two young men started brawling and the incident turned bloody—an average Tuesday evening in this part of the city at this time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • We were drawn to his energy, his inventiveness and his calm-cool that’s vital to wrangling so many different parts, people and palettes.
    — Ashley SP, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • But wrangling leaders in both countries to take action could be a long shot.
    — Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 29 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bickering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bickering. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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