as in dispute
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
a loud quarrel erupted at the next table over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the coach and the referee quarreled about whether the ball was in bounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quarrel
Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Victor Bautista got into an argument with his killer in front of NYCHA’s Moore Houses, across the street from troubled St. Mary’s Park, in Mott Haven about 7:45 a.m.
As the quarrel escalated, the gunman shot Bautista in the chest near Trinity Ave.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked DOGE for pushing cuts to USAID after media reports of quarreling between him and Elon Musk.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quarrel
Noun
Britain agreed to do so in a draft deal in October, but that has been delayed by a change of government in Mauritius and reported quarrels over how much the U.K. should pay for the lease of the Diego Garcia air base.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Victor Bautista got into an argument with his killer in front of NYCHA’s Moore Houses, across the street from troubled St. Mary’s Park, in Mott Haven about 7:45 a.m.
As the quarrel escalated, the gunman shot Bautista in the chest near Trinity Ave.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
Verb
The three male victims, two 26-year-olds and a 25-year-old, were quarreling with a fourth person at the park near the 9900 block of Crilly Drive just before 6:30 p.m., when the fourth person opened fire.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked DOGE for pushing cuts to USAID after media reports of quarreling between him and Elon Musk.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quarrel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrel
Noun
-
Threads on the South Park subreddit and social media have lit up with foul-mouthed complaints from international fans, most of them directed at Paramount and David Ellison’s Skydance Media, whose $8 billion buyout of Paramount is at the heart of the South Park dispute.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 July 2025
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But there are still some sour grapes about the big tactical dispute in February.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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As officials bickered over who had the right to investigate, the crime scene was overrun by gawkers who pocketed souvenirs and tampered with crucial evidence — including an unknown man’s handkerchief, a pair of glasses and the gun used in the murder.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
27 June 2025
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Trump withdrew his nomination of Isaacman as the president bickered with Musk in the waning days of the billionaire's formal involvement with the White House.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Back in May, former Washington Commanders running back Adrian Peterson went viral for his involvement in a physical altercation at a poker game in Houston, Texas.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
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The altercation could be setting the stage for an official showdown between Jelly and Paul at this year’s SummerSlam, scheduled for Aug. 2–3 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Watch Jelly Roll face off with Logan Paul at WWE SmackDown in the clip below.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
13 July 2025
Verb
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What made the transformation into a cinematic cut possible was the high quality of the game, argued Pekař.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
9 July 2025
-
Critics have argued that families in poverty have more immediate needs and that their children should receive a larger endowment if the goal is to help level the playing field.—
MORIAH BALINGIT,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
With no deadline spurring action and the clear potential for disagreement on valuation, this staring contest could go on for a while.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Every couple has disagreements, but in my experience, not in such a public way.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Five engines, two trucks, one squad, three ambulances, and three battalion chiefs assisted in fighting the fire.—
Pioneer Press,
Chicago Tribune,
8 July 2025
-
Others point out the irony that, as the government fixated on enforcing the veiling law and cracking down on political dissidents under the pretext of fighting foreign subversion, its actual adversaries were quietly infiltrating its most sensitive institutions.—
MOHAMMAD AYATOLLAHI TABAAR,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
The marketing department has been working up a list of areas where crime in the streets is highest, and will target special efforts on Death Wish there, hoping to stir up the kind of controversy that will get people to the box office.—
Andrew Tobias,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
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The controversy in Spain echoes similar issues in Portugal, where Rabbi Daniel Litvak of Oporto was arrested in 2022 amid investigations into fraudulent citizenship applications linked notably to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.—
Orge Castellano,
Sun Sentinel,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
The first is that when U.S. soldiers returned from the war there, protesters spat upon them in disdain.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
Foreign Affairs,
19 May 2016
-
The flare comes after nearly a week of flares and coronal plasma ejections spat toward the planet that threatened disruptions to power and communications systems on Earth.—
Greg Wehner,
Fox News,
15 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Quarrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrel. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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