quarrel 1 of 2

quarrel

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun quarrel contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of quarrel are altercation, squabble, and wrangle. While all these words mean "a noisy dispute usually marked by anger," quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.

a quarrel nearly destroyed the relationship

When would altercation be a good substitute for quarrel?

The words altercation and quarrel can be used in similar contexts, but altercation implies fighting with words as the chief weapon, although it may also connote blows.

a loud public altercation

When can squabble be used instead of quarrel?

The synonyms squabble and quarrel are sometimes interchangeable, but squabble stresses childish and unseemly dispute over petty matters, but it need not imply bitterness or anger.

a brief squabble over what to do next

When is it sensible to use wrangle instead of quarrel?

While the synonyms wrangle and quarrel are close in meaning, wrangle suggests undignified and often futile disputation with a noisy insistence on differing opinions.

wrangle interminably about small issues

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 quarrel
Noun
The basketball star has a reputation for being able to silence media noise in the most crucial moments, but the family element of this quarrel seems to have hit a little too close to home this time. Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025 Carter’s eleventh-hour time line seems to be wrong, but the matter won’t be settled by these quarrels. Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
Few would quarrel with a program aimed at overcoming the isolation that deaf and hard-of-hearing people may experience, but its creation nearly a half-century ago illustrates the wheeling and self-dealing that dominated the Capitol in the 1970s and 1980s. Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2025 Guests will never quarrel over space, as the folding bulwarks expand the beach club area in the stern, creating an alfresco hub of sociability. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quarrel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrel
Noun
  • Friends and family might be disappointed or potentially get into disputes over the wedding.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
  • India and Pakistan have suspended two key bilateral agreements: the Indus Waters Treaty, a transboundary water accord; and the Simla Agreement, which calls for the peaceful resolution of disputes.
    Michael Kugelman, Time, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • But if Trump follows through on his intent to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, that may leave Israel and Turkey to bicker over the country without adult supervision.
    Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Morrow and Turner bickered their way in and out of romance amid the tundra and always called one another by their last names, which was weirdly endearing.
    Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • Back in January, Kerley was hit with a domestic violence charge in an unrelated incident from last year, after he was arrested following an altercation with police.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
  • This comes after an altercation with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo at the conclusion of the team's playoff series.
    Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • Ramaphosa and other defenders of the Expropriation Act have argued that the policies are needed to reverse the nation’s apartheid-era legacy of disparities in land ownership.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 11 May 2025
  • Opponents argue the laws sanction discrimination and the exclusion of a vulnerable minority group and that rhetoric produced in these debates can stigmatize the transgender community.
    Sam Gringlas, NPR, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • The pair’s latest dispute centers on deep disagreements over whether to focus on slashing property taxes or sales taxes.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2025
  • After two earlier attempts to pass this bill failed because of disagreements about whether confessions should be exempt from reporting mandates, the final version passed during the legislative session this spring.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Lawyers for the county are fighting to shield much of the expert testimony from a jury if the case goes to trial.
    Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025
  • Are Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox fans fighting about something again? ...
    Sean Neumann, People.com, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • In December 2020 — shortly before Hilaria's heritage controversy emerged — Schumer posted some of Hilaria's family photos on her own Instagram page, later deleting them and apologizing to Hilaria, who spoke out about receiving negative comments.
    Benjamin VanHoose, People.com, 7 May 2025
  • The new portraits were unveiled roughly one year after a portrait of King Charles by artist Jonathan Yeo was revealed at Buckingham Palace, stirring some controversy and debate for its strong imagery.
    WWD Staff, Footwear News, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • The first is that when U.S. soldiers returned from the war there, protesters spat upon them in disdain.
    Jonathan Zimmerman, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2016
  • The flare comes after nearly a week of flares and coronal plasma ejections spat toward the planet that threatened disruptions to power and communications systems on Earth.
    Greg Wehner, Fox News, 15 May 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Quarrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrel. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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