as in altercations
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spats
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
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
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Hubert Mazur, Ray Collins and Jocelyne Robledo were also detained at the protests after engaging in physical altercations with federal officers, according to the court documents.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
29 Sep. 2025
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Across Jefferson County Public Schools, the ban is being credited for an uptick in library books being checked out, an increase in student participation and a decrease in altercations.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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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King Charles' younger son initiated the litigation in October 2019, signaling a shift in his approach to the British press — a stark departure from the royal family’s historic restraint regarding media disputes.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
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The lawsuit follows a series of high-profile disputes over how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its subagency FEMA distribute homeland security grants.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Other federal agencies have crafted similarly partisan messages from the typically apolitical civil service amid a legislative standoff largely over disagreements related to health care cuts.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Senior Hamas officials suggested there were still major disagreements that required further negotiations.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hartnett is in Canada filming an untitled project for Netflix, which focuses on a fisherman who fights to protect his family and community when a sea creature begins to threaten his town.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
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The long-running lawsuit from Serna’s family, first filed in 2020, is just one example of how the county needlessly fights and prolongs litigation, said civil rights lawyer Danielle Pena, who has sued the county over other jail deaths.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, lovers’ quarrels or difficulty dealing with children (hissy fits or meltdowns) might occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
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Fraternal security Gulf states have had significant internal quarrels over the years but remain bound by mutual defense treaties signed decades ago.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit argues the latter, that the victim, John Doe 8, did not discover the injuries from the abuse until four years from the time of the filing.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
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Even the suggestion of such a levy, argues Schrieder, could be enough to spook studio executives weighing where to place their next tentpole.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Will Lazarus have the stomach for uncomfortable political speech controversies that come with running an ideological media company like MSNBC?—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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The former football star played just two seasons in the NFL before his off-the-field controversies like drug use and domestic violence accusations portrayed him as a liability to teams.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spats. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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