as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
there was a bit of a contretemps over the seating arrangements for the upcoming wedding
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Recent Examples of contretemps
Moore’s personal biography – despite these minor contretemps – proved more than compelling enough for Maryland voters.
—
Peniel E. Joseph, CNN, 9 Nov. 2022
To outsiders, the summer’s weeks-long contretemps over the prime minister’s after-hours activities might seem like a tempest in a Nordic teapot.
—Michael Hunt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022
The Dallas visit avoided the contretemps of the Washington portion of the trip.
—Dallas News, 2 June 2022
The normally dignified sport had a brief contretemps at the time of the opening game this year.
—New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for contretemps
Peniel E. Joseph, CNN, 9 Nov. 2022
To outsiders, the summer’s weeks-long contretemps over the prime minister’s after-hours activities might seem like a tempest in a Nordic teapot.
—Michael Hunt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022
The Dallas visit avoided the contretemps of the Washington portion of the trip.
—Dallas News, 2 June 2022
The normally dignified sport had a brief contretemps at the time of the opening game this year.
—New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for contretemps
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contretemps
Noun
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As the quarrel turned physical, the woman pushed Smith to the ground, witnesses told police.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
What followed was a benches-clearing quarrel between Miller, Sal Stewart and their respective teams, the dramatic conclusion to a two-day saga between the Giants and Reds featuring beanballs, cuss words and aggressive gesticulation.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At 20, he was arrested after a routine traffic stop turned into a violent altercation with police.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The altercation between Avdija and Castle put an end to a frustrating day for the Trail Blazers, who lost Game 4 by 21 points after holding a 17-point lead at halftime.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The unresolved regulatory boundaries have led to numerous legal disputes with the states and tribes that regulate and tax gambling.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This week, the dispute between The Deb actress Charlotte MacInnes and its director, Rebel Wilson, spilled into the Federal Court in Australia, and Jake has been tracking the story.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The new controversy comes at a moment when the region is already grappling with internal divisions.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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Branca's tenure, however, hasn't been without controversy.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Massie came to Congress as a spending hawk, and more than a decade later, that remains his signature issue and the source of many of his disagreements with GOP leaders.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2026
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And the choices may provoke some disagreement.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In our old travel life, a closed highway might have triggered a stressful bicker-fest over a paper map.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Yet the agency tasked with keeping Americans safe — one of the few responsibilities just about everyone agrees is appropriate for government — remains unfunded as Congress bickers over immigration politics.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The defendant got into some sort of argument with Velasquez, who was sitting on a stool outside the store, before the deadly conflict.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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As the argument continued, Alexander and his 62-year-old father, in turn, urinated on his neighbor’s yard in apparent retaliation for the dog’s actions, prosecutors say.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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Denver police on Thursday arrested a 28-year-old man who investigators said shot and killed another man in a fight near South Broadway and West Maple Avenue, department officials said in a news release.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contretemps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contretemps. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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