as in dispute
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
frightened by noise of the squabble, the cat hid under the couch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
the children squabbled loudly over who got to play with the toy first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squabble
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
There’s been a resurgence of interest in Karen Zacarías’ 2016 comedy, a political allegory in which neighbors in a Washington D.C. neighborhood squabble over the line dividing their property.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2025
Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Soon enough, the scripts are gone, father and daughter are squabbling intimately with each other, and a steady gray rain is drizzling down the upstage windows.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squabble
Noun
As the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks squabble over Cyprus in the background, the men before us quarrel over everything—a woman, a job, a handkerchief.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
There’s been a resurgence of interest in Karen Zacarías’ 2016 comedy, a political allegory in which neighbors in a Washington D.C. neighborhood squabble over the line dividing their property.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
The same figure fits seamlessly into competing narratives, suggesting the totalizing intractability of their opposition—the two sides are left squabbling over ownership of the facts like a couple splitting marital assets.
—Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Soon enough, the scripts are gone, father and daughter are squabbling intimately with each other, and a steady gray rain is drizzling down the upstage windows.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squabble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squabble
Noun
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Book dispute is one of three religious rights cases The case is one of three religious rights cases the Supreme Court is deciding in the coming weeks, and appears likely to be part of a recent trend of the court siding with religious rights advocates.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Besides brokering negotiations for private employers, the mediators handle worker grievances; train joint labor-management committees; appoint arbitrators if a dispute cannot be resolved; and assist with negotiation impasses in the federal sector.—
Los Angeles Times,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Sorrell also said bickering by leadership is affecting the community.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
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Pratt, whose character plays like a cross between Han Solo and Jack Burton, is gifted with a moment or two, bickering with Herman like a married couple and yeeting cars at Sentre headquarters.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The quarrel escalated into a fight, and Hernandez was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen, cops said.—
Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
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As the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks squabble over Cyprus in the background, the men before us quarrel over everything—a woman, a job, a handkerchief.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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And some would argue that the lawsuits from NYT and others against OpenAI or other model companies represent a case of this.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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At the start of proceedings, prosecutors presented their case by arguing Yoon lacked the legal grounds to declare martial law and accused him of trying to paralyse state institutions such as parliament.—
Joyce Lee,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Panthers center Sam Bennett, who had a contentious altercation with Marchand in Round 2 of the playoffs last year, said Marchand’s first message after being added to the team group chat was a chirp.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
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The footage shows an altercation between Perez and a man that officials say lasted for about 15 minutes before officers arrived on the scene.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Twins, fighting declining attendance and trying to sell a new direct-to-consumer streaming product, were perhaps the team most in need of a strong start.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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The court fight over Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia is a most unusual one in that no one denies that the government violated the law in deporting him.—
The Editors,
National Review,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This is the classic day for disagreements with anyone in a position of authority.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2025
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Early disagreements or toxic positivity among leaders can leave deep, long-lasting cultural scars that become institutionalized as dysfunction.—
Tracy Lawrence,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
“Squabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squabble. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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