variants
or quarrelling
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the coach and the referee quarreled about whether the ball was in bounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quarreling
The lack of money has, at times, led to quarrelling between the services - most notably pitting the navy against the army and the Royal Air Force.
—
Ian King, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Police said witness accounts indicate that the couple arrived at Zuri Hotel in Zanzibar on April 4 and had been quarreling frequently until the night of April 8, when hotel management separated them and asked McCann to move to a separate villa about a 10-minute walk away.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Her father, after quarreling with Antigone’s mother, locked her out of their house overnight, which led to a terrible accident.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Lydon’s revelation comes after years of quarreling with guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
The family is reportedly quarreling over Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal roles after their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had his titles taken away.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 13 Nov. 2025
The discovery was entirely by chance, and happened when an officer responded to Mirella's parents' residence after neighbors reported quarreling, per several outlets.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
The political malaise risks metastasizing into an economic crisis because the quarreling political parties cannot agree on a way forward, such as passing a budget and addressing the country's alarming budget deficit and mounting national debt.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Will the two be allowed to wed, or will Ellen’s brothers, quarrelling over their father’s chair, bargain her off to other suitors to improve their chances?
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Ian King, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Police said witness accounts indicate that the couple arrived at Zuri Hotel in Zanzibar on April 4 and had been quarreling frequently until the night of April 8, when hotel management separated them and asked McCann to move to a separate villa about a 10-minute walk away.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Her father, after quarreling with Antigone’s mother, locked her out of their house overnight, which led to a terrible accident.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Lydon’s revelation comes after years of quarreling with guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
The family is reportedly quarreling over Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal roles after their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had his titles taken away.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 13 Nov. 2025
The discovery was entirely by chance, and happened when an officer responded to Mirella's parents' residence after neighbors reported quarreling, per several outlets.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
The political malaise risks metastasizing into an economic crisis because the quarreling political parties cannot agree on a way forward, such as passing a budget and addressing the country's alarming budget deficit and mounting national debt.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Will the two be allowed to wed, or will Ellen’s brothers, quarrelling over their father’s chair, bargain her off to other suitors to improve their chances?
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarreling
Verb
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For those of us interested in governing and not bickering, this is a good thing.—
Gail Slater,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
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In some states, lawmakers are still bickering over how money should be spent.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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DeSantis is arguing that Florida’s significant growth over the past few years merits a redraw of the state’s congressional boundaries.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
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On homelessness, Steyer wants to expand interim housing options with services, arguing the state has focused too much on building permanent housing for the homeless that is too costly and takes too long to open.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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At that point, the White House needs approval from the legislative branch to continue fighting, according to the War Powers Resolution, a law aimed at reasserting Congress’ constitutional role of declaring war.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 May 2026
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The Lebanese Ministry of Health reports that at least 2,659 people have died in Lebanon and over 8,000 have been injured since Israel and Hezbollah began fighting in March.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quarreling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarreling. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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