variants
or quarrelling
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quarreling
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
Lydon’s revelation comes after years of quarreling with guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
The family is reportedly quarreling over Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal roles after their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had his titles taken away.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 13 Nov. 2025
The discovery was entirely by chance, and happened when an officer responded to Mirella's parents' residence after neighbors reported quarreling, per several outlets.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
The political malaise risks metastasizing into an economic crisis because the quarreling political parties cannot agree on a way forward, such as passing a budget and addressing the country's alarming budget deficit and mounting national debt.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
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
Lydon’s revelation comes after years of quarreling with guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
The family is reportedly quarreling over Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal roles after their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had his titles taken away.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 13 Nov. 2025
The discovery was entirely by chance, and happened when an officer responded to Mirella's parents' residence after neighbors reported quarreling, per several outlets.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
The political malaise risks metastasizing into an economic crisis because the quarreling political parties cannot agree on a way forward, such as passing a budget and addressing the country's alarming budget deficit and mounting national debt.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarreling
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Russia warns of major Kyiv attacks The Kremlin urged foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv, warning of a major forthcoming attack, with analysts arguing that Russia is losing momentum in its war on Ukraine.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
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The men were arguing about a conflict that their children were having, the mother told the TV station.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Verb
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William Jennings Bryan stepped onto the podium on July 8, 1896, at the Democratic National Convention inside Chicago Coliseum at 63rd Street and Stony Island Avenue, and demonstrated that reformers could profit from working within the system instead of fighting it.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
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The big and heavy fights in the new trailer for gen ATLAS (shown below) really remind me of fighting various large enemies in Gigantic Drive.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quarreling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarreling. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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