as in quarrels
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
like any couple, they have their spats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in bickers
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
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Recent Examples of spats
Sam Reed, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2025
Personal spats and legal battles would keep Frehley and Criss out of the mix, for the most part.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Local spats could now feed into a mass movement that spread far beyond individual disputes between a peasant and a particularly nasty abbot or lord.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
In addition to the cohosts getting into memorable spats over Harris' bid for the presidency, during a pre-2024 election interview on the show in October of last year, Harris responded to one of Hostin's questions that inquired about differentiating herself from President Biden's policies.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
As with other such contract spats, this one looks centered on higher programming fees being sought by Fox Corp.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Starr's business partner Keith McNally — known for iconic eateries like Balthazar and social media spats with celebrities like James Corden — established his brand for years before the duo partnered up.
—Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
The two had small spats here and there early on, mostly about communication style.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2025
Personal spats and legal battles would keep Frehley and Criss out of the mix, for the most part.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Local spats could now feed into a mass movement that spread far beyond individual disputes between a peasant and a particularly nasty abbot or lord.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
In addition to the cohosts getting into memorable spats over Harris' bid for the presidency, during a pre-2024 election interview on the show in October of last year, Harris responded to one of Hostin's questions that inquired about differentiating herself from President Biden's policies.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
As with other such contract spats, this one looks centered on higher programming fees being sought by Fox Corp.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Starr's business partner Keith McNally — known for iconic eateries like Balthazar and social media spats with celebrities like James Corden — established his brand for years before the duo partnered up.
—Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spats
Noun
-
Margolick devotes much space to the writers’ quarrels, their gripes, their resentment of one another.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Hip-Hop has equally thrived on legendary quarrels and strong relationships.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The pope, played by Samora la Perdida, is a mincing oaf who bickers with Galas about the value of translating Wagner.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Unfortunately, the launch of the Bearista cup didn’t go as expected, with merchandise shortages nationwide and physical altercations breaking out at some locations, leaving many customers empty-handed.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Nov. 2025
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Other behaviors that commonly cause altercations during flights include shouting, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, and reclining your seat without consideration for the person sitting behind.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And the action ranges from dueling card tricks to the kind of honest-to-God fights that merely serve to remind us that balletic action films really are magic tricks.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The movie, about a pop girl group called HUNTR/X that fights demons, was a smash hit.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Thousands of both Christians and Muslims have been killed, with violence also stemming from non-religious disputes, such as those over natural resources.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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The ongoing 36-day closure has sparked disputes over a range of topics — from the separation of powers and the federal workforce, to food assistance and air traffic control.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Media studies scholar Stephen Ponder argues that William McKinley, inaugurated as president in 1897, laid the groundwork for Roosevelt’s later efforts to fully bring the press into the White House.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
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What Rokita alleges in lawsuit The lawsuit argues that IPS’s policies violate Indiana law, which prohibits governmental bodies from enacting a resolution or policy that restricts employees from communicating or cooperating with federal officials about someone’s citizenship or immigration status.—
Caroline Beck,
IndyStar,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Over the course of the hour-long runtime, all the girls bring their lingering tensions and disagreements to the table and air everything out.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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Democrats gathered for a conference hosted by progressives were sneering at Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who was not present, for shutting down popular new faces based on disagreements over specific issues.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Your worst critic is YOU as the moon clashes with Chiron.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
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Played by Nick Cannon, Devon joins the marching band at Atlanta A&T University, where his confidence quickly clashes with his section leader’s discipline.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spats. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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