spats 1 of 2

plural of spat

spats

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spat

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 spats
Noun
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
  • Estelle said there appeared to be at least five fights, and because there were so many altercations in one evening numerous people were detained during the football game.
    Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The trend has resulted in several fatal altercations in recent years.
    Jenna Sundel Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The 49ers have a recent history of tense contract disputes with receivers, going through one with Deebo Samuel in 2022 and Aiyuk last year.
    Matt Barrows, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • So far, 75 deals have been re-submitted after initially being denied, and none of the disputes has so far gone to arbitration.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Payne was then asked about a rumor floating around social media that one of his jurors had threatened to quit due to disagreements over the festival’s top prizes.
    Ellise Shafer, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Also in 2024, at the DNA testing startup 23andMe, all seven independent directors resigned simultaneously, citing major disagreements with CEO Anne Wojcicki and her plans to take the company private.
    Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Four months ago when the Suns’ season concluded, Ishbia discussed the value of having a gritty, resilient group that fights hard defensively for the entire game, not just in flashes.
    Shane Young, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Folk performer Barun Sarma fights to revive lost traditions and expose the devastating impact of arsenic contamination from tube wells that are now turning his village into a cancer hotspot.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In this way, its role as a familiar calendar entity argues profoundly for itself, unsinkable and ever-long.
    Jordan Michelman, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
  • And the administration argues the toy companies brought their challenge in the wrong court so it should not be considered at all.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Kraft later said he was disappointed in how the docuseries focused on controversies instead of the team’s success.
    Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Canceled also highlights other controversies in Deen's career, including her public spats with Bourdain, the world-traveling chef and CNN travel documentarian who later died by suicide in 2018.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Coerced into a conversion therapy program, Jared clashes with its hostile leader (Joel Edgerton), igniting a transformative journey of self-acceptance.
    Alex Gurley, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
  • The feces contrast with her teeth in a way that inexplicably clashes with her eyeshadow, and the vignette is instantly burned in your brain.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The curfew came following brawls with police, a racist threat and gunfire that led to a riot in the heart of Milwaukee's Black neighborhood on the city's north side.
    Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Seattle Seahawks pratice erupted into many brawls.
    Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spats. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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