as in quarrels
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
judging from all the slamming and banging, I'd say there was some sort of altercation going on next door
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Recent Examples of altercations
Though the large parties associated with Spring Weekend were not sanctioned by UConn, the lawsuit contended that university officials knew about the troubles and potential dangers that would ensue based, in part, on previous altercations that had occurred.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Gardner’s style of play irritated plenty of opponents along the way, too, as he was involved in a few verbal altercations throughout the season with players like Klay Thompson and Scotty Pippen Jr.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The carryover from the altercations will be worth watching regardless.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Other proposals in the legislative package would require city agencies to report on social media’s impact on young people’s mental health and study how their online activity can lead to face-to-face altercations.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
On Sunday, the Village of Skokie posted a statement to their website in regards to the two youth altercations, stating that officials were made aware of the two separate incidents by Skokie Police and the Skokie Park District.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
In February 2026, two Utah police departments opened separate domestic violence investigations into alleged altercations between Paul and Mortensen.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Other footage from that night captured different individuals dancing and socializing in the city's streets, while other moments showed people climbing on cars and brief altercations within the crowd.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Participants have at times made their own license plates, ID, taken over other people’s property and had numerous violent altercations with police.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 1 Apr. 2026
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Gardner’s style of play irritated plenty of opponents along the way, too, as he was involved in a few verbal altercations throughout the season with players like Klay Thompson and Scotty Pippen Jr.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The carryover from the altercations will be worth watching regardless.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Other proposals in the legislative package would require city agencies to report on social media’s impact on young people’s mental health and study how their online activity can lead to face-to-face altercations.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
On Sunday, the Village of Skokie posted a statement to their website in regards to the two youth altercations, stating that officials were made aware of the two separate incidents by Skokie Police and the Skokie Park District.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
In February 2026, two Utah police departments opened separate domestic violence investigations into alleged altercations between Paul and Mortensen.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Other footage from that night captured different individuals dancing and socializing in the city's streets, while other moments showed people climbing on cars and brief altercations within the crowd.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Participants have at times made their own license plates, ID, taken over other people’s property and had numerous violent altercations with police.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altercations
Noun
-
Avoid money quarrels with everyone.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
-
His quarrels with Massie and interest in relitigating the 2020 election seem to animate him more, too.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The apparent goal is to discredit accusers in public — then circulate the smears to their social circles — as well as demoralize adversaries amid legal disputes, forcing quiet settlements on preferred terms.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
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These conditions have fueled widespread reports of labor exploitation, environmental damage and violent disputes over territory, while mercury contamination from gold extraction has posed serious risks to indigenous communities and fragile ecosystems.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Massie came to Congress as a spending hawk, and more than a decade later, that remains his signature issue and the source of many of his disagreements with GOP leaders.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But six months after a high-profile IPO, the company’s share price has crashed, and its CEO and CFO both left their posts this weekend, reportedly over disagreements about whether to sell the firm (Fermi didn’t respond to a request for comment).—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Police also allegedly received numerous reports of fights and disturbances in different areas of the Jennings Beach grounds and parking lots.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
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But fights are just as integral to the Netflix show created by Lee Sung Jin, and the series’ sound team needed to do even more meticulous work building visceral senses of anger, stress, and dread that slowly swallow up the characters and steer them into making a compounding set of poor decisions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some complaints derive from the film brushing aside many of the late King of Pop’s controversies, while others criticize the factual problems of Michael’s life and career, including missing family members.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The controversies clearly didn’t stop fans from attending, as Michael smashed the all-time record for an opening for a biopic, earning $97 million at the domestic box office and $217 million globally.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Malema heads the Economic Freedom Fighters, which advocates for the expropriation of mines, banks and land, and is notorious for starting brawls in parliament.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Other brewhouse brawls happen at Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa (Havoc And Haze) and Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach (Rooted In Chaos), often drawing 300 to 500 visitors, CCW co-owner Dan Ackerman says.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During closing arguments, Lynn Johnson, an attorney for Christine and Christopher Nolte, suggested the jury award $10 million for noneconomic damages and $5 million for economic damages.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But this foundation of modern math has inspired fierce arguments since it was first proposed.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pig myths and misunderstandings McLeod and Jennings are quick to dispel myths about their family of pigs.—
Eric Adler
April 26,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Washington and Hollywood have long had an awkward relationship, with players in each power center harboring insecurities and misunderstandings about the other as politics and entertainment have steadily merged into a single cultural force.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Altercations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altercations. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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