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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quarreling
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
Will the two be allowed to wed, or will Ellen’s brothers, quarrelling over their father’s chair, bargain her off to other suitors to improve their chances?
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
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
Will the two be allowed to wed, or will Ellen’s brothers, quarrelling over their father’s chair, bargain her off to other suitors to improve their chances?
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarreling
Verb
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Her grandparents are constantly bickering, worn down by the pressures of keeping the family hotel afloat.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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The choice not to pick a team has left fans bickering with each other.—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some residents and community groups say conditions around MacArthur Park remain far from resolved, arguing that drug activity and safety concerns persist despite recent enforcement and outreach efforts.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Citadel Securities published a blistering takedown of the Citrini essay, noting, for instance, that demand for software engineers is up 11% year over year, and more broadly arguing that productivity shocks have historically expanded output and raised real incomes.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nearby, pigeons are fighting over what, horrifyingly, appears to be a chicken strip.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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The ferocity of Iran’s attacks on America’s Gulf allies, and the regime’s determination to keep fighting, have already come as a nasty surprise to him.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quarreling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarreling. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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