QUARRELING Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

quarreling

verb

variants or quarrelling

present participle of quarrel

as in bickering

to express different opinions about something often angrily the coach and the referee quarreled about whether the ball was in bounds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 quarreling 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 But for Benjamin Franklin, the Haudenosaunee’s federal governing model was a perfect solution for how to get quarreling colonies to work together. — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026 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 The lack of money has, at times, led to quarrelling between the services - most notably pitting the navy against the army and the Royal Air Force. — Ian King, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026 Police said witness accounts indicate that the couple arrived at Zuri Hotel in Zanzibar on April 4 and had been quarreling frequently until the night of April 8, when hotel management separated them and asked McCann to move to a separate villa about a 10-minute walk away. — ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026 Her father, after quarreling with Antigone’s mother, locked her out of their house overnight, which led to a terrible accident. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarreling

Verb

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

Definition of bickering

Verb

The Virginia appeals court is being asked to invalidate the amendment, arguing state lawmakers failed to follow proper procedures before putting it before voters.

— Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
Means, along with his sister, came to prominence within the MAHA movement by arguing that ultraprocessed foods, additives and pesticides could be blamed for many of the chronic health conditions facing Americans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of arguing

Verb

The discovery raises the possibility of a grim outcome in the search for the four men, which has led to El Salvador deploying 450 special forces soldiers to Haiti as of Friday to aid the gang-fighting force in the search.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
The whole idea is for Israel to keep fighting, because endless wars serve Netanyahu to maintain… a constant state of emergency.

— Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026