variants
or quarrelled
as in bickered
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the coach and the referee quarreled about whether the ball was in bounds
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Recent Examples of quarreled
Instead of bold action, English said, European leaders have quarreled over internal divisions and rivalries.
—
Gavin J. Quinton
march 10, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Last year, the Legislature didn’t finalize its budget until two weeks before the annual budget cycle ended because the House and Senate quarreled over how to close a $4 billion spending gap.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
For the past seven months, SDC has quarreled with state officials and lawmakers over its community action agency title.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Rhoden's biggest political victory this year was getting the state Legislature to sign off on a $650 million plan in September to replace the 141-year-old state penitentiary, an issue the Legislature had quarreled over for years.
—CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
Mayor Sue Finkam found the dollars to quell many concerns from city councilors about the budget, but officials still quarreled over the transparency of some dollars earmarked for Carmel’s legal department.
—Jake Allen, IndyStar, 22 Oct. 2025
Franklin’s son and grandson quarreled.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Most had quarrelled with someone right before the act.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Bangkok and Phnom Penh have quarreled for decades over undemarcated parts of their 508-mile land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2025
Gavin J. Quinton
march 10, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Last year, the Legislature didn’t finalize its budget until two weeks before the annual budget cycle ended because the House and Senate quarreled over how to close a $4 billion spending gap.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
For the past seven months, SDC has quarreled with state officials and lawmakers over its community action agency title.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Rhoden's biggest political victory this year was getting the state Legislature to sign off on a $650 million plan in September to replace the 141-year-old state penitentiary, an issue the Legislature had quarreled over for years.
—CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
Mayor Sue Finkam found the dollars to quell many concerns from city councilors about the budget, but officials still quarreled over the transparency of some dollars earmarked for Carmel’s legal department.
—Jake Allen, IndyStar, 22 Oct. 2025
Franklin’s son and grandson quarreled.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Most had quarrelled with someone right before the act.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Bangkok and Phnom Penh have quarreled for decades over undemarcated parts of their 508-mile land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarreled
Verb
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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
Verb
-
Their growing footprint highlights shifting perceptions of Chinese goods in Western markets, Business of Fashion argued, from having once been seen as lower quality.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Gosnell did not testify at his 2013 trial, but his defense attorney argued that none of the fetuses were born alive and that any movements were posthumous twitching or spasms, according to the AP.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, there have been cases where poker clubs fought to stay open and won.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
-
That marquee status would seem to be a virtual guarantee for his second-round match later today against Alcaraz—Fonseca gamely fought through his first-round match against Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán yesterday in three sets, setting up this early-round gut-check.—
Nick Remsen,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hezbollah also released a statement saying its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in the southern village of Khiam.—
Sam Mednick,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Almost immediately after the OCU's creation, Filaret and Epiphanius clashed over its structure and leadership, and Filaret sought to revive the Kyiv Patriarchate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quarreled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarreled. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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