as in altercation
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
like any couple, they have their spats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
we tend to spat over money more than anything else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of spat
Pat Gallen, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Beijing last year implemented some export controls on rare earths during trade spats, raising concerns about America’s lack of secure supply chains for these critical materials.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Julia Frankel The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2023
The one charged with assault spat on a person, while the others spat towards people, police said to explain the different charges.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 4 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for spat
Noun
But that spat was just the latest of several incidents in the 2025 season involving Brown.
—Pat Gallen, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Beijing last year implemented some export controls on rare earths during trade spats, raising concerns about America’s lack of secure supply chains for these critical materials.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
Israeli media reported that coalition lawmaker Simcha Rothman had joined a Sukkot march during which ultra-Orthodox Jews spat at churches.
—Julia Frankel The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2023
The one charged with assault spat on a person, while the others spat towards people, police said to explain the different charges.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 4 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for spat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spat
Noun
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The Los Angeles Police Department could not immediately provide details of his arrest, but NBC4 reported that Sutherland allegedly got into an altercation with a ride-hailing driver, and was booked on suspicion of criminal threats.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Kiefer Sutherland was arrested in Los Angeles on Monday after an alleged altercation with a ride-share driver.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Someone on the bench started bickering with Cameroon’s first goalscorer, Junior Tchamadeu, during a break in play.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Federal Reserve chair and the president stood stiffly, side by side, in matching hard hats, bickering on a building site, for all the world to see.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Opening arguments in a Stanford felony vandalism case began Friday amid sharp disputes over whether political views tied to Israel’s war in Gaza should factor into the trial — an issue that has shaped the case from its earliest stages.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
10 Jan. 2026
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Police had initially said the shooting involved a family dispute but gave no specific details.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mahan has also faulted the governor’s administration for dismissing allegations of waste, fraud and abuse in state programs, arguing those concerns should not be partisan.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
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As argued in his book Abundance, Ezra Klein explains how America's growth has been hindered by well-meaning regulations, permitting requirements, and veto points that have blocked affordable housing, infrastructure, and clean energy development.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But by agreeing to disagree on these ideological quarrels, negotiators could manage to find ways to prevent them from triggering unnecessary crises.—
Mohammad Javad Zarif,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Dec. 2025
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Police said the quarrel escalated when a 39-year-old man pulled out a gun and shot the victim twice.—
Natalie McMillan,
CBS News,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Fifty years ago, my father was a Vietnamese soldier who fought as an ally to the United States Armed Forces in Vietnam.—
Bao Phi,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Dickens’ appearance was during an ongoing back and forth fight between the city and MARTA over transit expansion in Atlanta.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Parking problems are causing controversy in Elk Grove.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Over the past year, CBS has experienced several controversies and new ownership that led to new leadership, which have some critics accusing the network of losing its credibility.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As a ballplayer, Kent was as irascible as Bonds; the two alphas reportedly brawled behind clubhouse doors, and famously clashed in the dugout during a 2002 game, when Bonds lunged for Kent’s throat and pushed him against the wall.—
Jeremy Collins,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
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The cabinets inhaled quarters as four players teamed up to brawl their way to save Maggie Simpson or battle Shredder across New York.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spat. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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