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 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarreling

Verb

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
Back at the base, the team is still bickering with the other troopers.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of bickering

Verb

The students are challenging those actions in federal court, arguing that FIU's policy – and its application to their silent demonstration – violates their First Amendment rights.

— Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
On Monday, prosecutors submitted a six-page pleading to the judge arguing against restricting the accuser's testimony.

— John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of arguing

Verb

Body camera footage shows that Jonah Neal did not pose a threat that warranted deadly force when a member of the federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis shot him in late May, according to a lawyer representing his family.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
Surveillance video obtained by ABC7 New York shows two men fighting in the street before gunshots ring out, and a vehicle swerves around the moped, appearing to flee the scene.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026