as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily the children squabbled loudly over who got to play with the toy first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 squabbling Starting German star Timo Werner for the first time since mid-March, the Earthquakes played compactly before the halftime break, squabbling over the middle of the park with LAFC as both teams fell short in the final third. —
Josh Gross, Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026 While the other males in the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve’s Kea group spend lots of time squabbling and making threat displays, Bruce is free to wander the aviary and monopolize feeding stations and prime perches, the study reports. —Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026 That’s not because its member countries have suddenly stopped squabbling or its bureaucratic inertia has melted away. —Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026 Hulu Sometimes, after a long day at work, there's nothing more comforting than watching a bunch of richer-than-rich investors squabbling over the inventions of eager entrepreneurs. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Feb. 2026 Discovery squabbles Now, attorneys in the ET Gathering and Processing lawsuit are squabbling over the pace of the production of records in the discovery phase. —Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch, 3 Feb. 2026 Democrats and Republicans continued squabbling over the content of trade policy, but the protectionist impulse largely receded and was replaced by a consensus that lower trade barriers would support economic recovery and advance broader foreign policy goals. —Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026 While the fans are always squabbling, the idea of two teams of professional athletes, not to mention coaches, actually disliking each other has become rarer. —Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026 The Vernon Point Neighborhood Association is a passionate bunch, whether squabbling over historically inaccurate porch railings or debating trash can protocol. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2025
Josh Gross, Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026 While the other males in the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve’s Kea group spend lots of time squabbling and making threat displays, Bruce is free to wander the aviary and monopolize feeding stations and prime perches, the study reports. —Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026 That’s not because its member countries have suddenly stopped squabbling or its bureaucratic inertia has melted away. —Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026 Hulu Sometimes, after a long day at work, there's nothing more comforting than watching a bunch of richer-than-rich investors squabbling over the inventions of eager entrepreneurs. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Feb. 2026 Discovery squabbles Now, attorneys in the ET Gathering and Processing lawsuit are squabbling over the pace of the production of records in the discovery phase. —Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch, 3 Feb. 2026 Democrats and Republicans continued squabbling over the content of trade policy, but the protectionist impulse largely receded and was replaced by a consensus that lower trade barriers would support economic recovery and advance broader foreign policy goals. —Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026 While the fans are always squabbling, the idea of two teams of professional athletes, not to mention coaches, actually disliking each other has become rarer. —Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026 The Vernon Point Neighborhood Association is a passionate bunch, whether squabbling over historically inaccurate porch railings or debating trash can protocol. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squabbling
Verb
-
For those of us interested in governing and not bickering, this is a good thing.— Gail Slater, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2026
-
In some states, lawmakers are still bickering over how money should be spent.— Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Video obtained by The News shows the victim arguing with the dog owner when a woman in red storms up and starts swinging.— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
-
The West Texas project recently received the largest air pollution permit ever granted in the US, while Musk’s Memphis project has faced multiple lawsuits arguing the gas turbines are worsening air quality in historically Black communities.— Mark Chediak, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The camp is entirely dependent on aid, disrupted after cuts by USAID last year and again by fighting between Syrian and Kurdish forces this February.— Jane Arraf, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
-
Despite how difficult sitting through the case was, the jurors commended Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez for her fairness — and lead prosecutor Abbe Rifkin for fighting so hard for Quatisha.— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/squabbling. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
