quarrel 1 of 2

quarrel

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun quarrel contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of quarrel are altercation, squabble, and wrangle. While all these words mean "a noisy dispute usually marked by anger," quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.

a quarrel nearly destroyed the relationship

When would altercation be a good substitute for quarrel?

The words altercation and quarrel can be used in similar contexts, but altercation implies fighting with words as the chief weapon, although it may also connote blows.

a loud public altercation

When can squabble be used instead of quarrel?

The synonyms squabble and quarrel are sometimes interchangeable, but squabble stresses childish and unseemly dispute over petty matters, but it need not imply bitterness or anger.

a brief squabble over what to do next

When is it sensible to use wrangle instead of quarrel?

While the synonyms wrangle and quarrel are close in meaning, wrangle suggests undignified and often futile disputation with a noisy insistence on differing opinions.

wrangle interminably about small issues

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quarrel
Noun
Washington had already picked quarrels with neighbors and allies such as Canada, Mexico, Panama and Greenland, on the grounds that the US was asserting its self-interests. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025 Soon, life coach and hypnotherapist Sarah Malone interrupted the quarrel and sent away all of the couples so Sophie and Rob could hash out the issue one-on-one. Abigail Adams, People.com, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
Few would quarrel with a program aimed at overcoming the isolation that deaf and hard-of-hearing people may experience, but its creation nearly a half-century ago illustrates the wheeling and self-dealing that dominated the Capitol in the 1970s and 1980s. Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2025 Guests will never quarrel over space, as the folding bulwarks expand the beach club area in the stern, creating an alfresco hub of sociability. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quarrel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrel
Noun
  • No arrests were made, and there was no further investigation into the dispute.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Approach with caution, look at reviews, and maybe don’t use your main credit card (or at least keep your bank’s dispute line handy).
    Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Sorrell also said bickering by leadership is affecting the community.
    Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • The anti-Amendment 4 website hosted by the Agency for Health Care Administration led to court challenges from people who argued the state was improperly using its official power, including one case in front of the Florida Supreme Court.
    Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 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
  • Gregg Ward, executive director at The Center for Respectful Leadership, said that while disagreements between neighbors are common, starting a war is never a good idea.
    David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • Up next, a ubiquitous presence on television, unafraid of controversy, sounding off on everything from sports to pop culture to politics.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The sort-of antagonist in The Last of Us Part II first stirred up controversy when the game originally debuted in 2020.
    Eliana Dockterman, Time, 13 Apr. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Quarrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrel. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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