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
This time, however, testimony suggested a thornier layer to the quarrel: Phillip said the family had learned a few years earlier that the older brother was not Ferguson’s biological child. Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025 While Ringo tries to insist the fight is between him and Earp, Holliday says not so fast, sir, citing a quarrel earlier in the film. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
Now isn’t the time to quarrel with the coach, so, purely for context: Atkinson was an assistant on the last Golden State Warriors team to win a title in 2022, but Poole did not start next to Curry. Joe Vardon, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for quarrel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrel
Noun
  • Lee-Gardner became involved in the dispute and is accused of hitting the homeowner in her head with a pistol.
    Mike Stunson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 May 2025
  • This dispute is one of several signs revealing a worsening relationship between the two leaders, reflecting broader disagreements on Iran, regional conflicts, economic policy, and diplomatic priorities.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • There’s a genuine brother-and-sister warmth between the Andy and Piper characters in Bring Her Back — and plenty of sibling bickering too.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 30 May 2025
  • Yet a design challenge is a smart choice to assign this particular group of queens because that means locking them in the workroom to bicker between assembling garments.
    Chris Feil, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Jaques said officers at 7:49 a.m. on Sunday received a complaint from a woman who reported that someone was following her vehicle while waving a gun following an altercation at a local gas station.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 May 2025
  • The shooting stemmed from an altercation during a private Memorial Day weekend gathering on a charter boat in Little River, a community of about 11,000 people situated along the Intracoastal Waterway near the North Carolina state line, police said.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • Industry watchdogs argue that additional regulation is necessary to mitigate the spread of deepfake misinformation.
    Andrew R. Chow, Time, 3 June 2025
  • Nicholson argues the clock reset every time she was turned away from the stage.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • The suit recounts numerous comments made by Trump and the White House attacking PBS’ content, to underscore the point that the defunding is motivated by disagreement over speech.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 May 2025
  • The question – at the center of disagreements over transgender athletes’ participation in sports – has echoed from high school running tracks to Olympic arenas as lawmakers and sports bodies face intense pressure to weigh in on a debate over what fair play looks like.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Holland has been one of the more active UFC competitors since losing that contest by decision, fighting at middleweight and welterweight.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • House Republicans, who are fighting to keep their three-seat majority, have outspent Democrats.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • However, California is far from the only state that saw its girls' track and field championships overshadowed by trans athlete controversy.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025
  • Salgado’s pictures were also freighted with their fair share of controversy.
    Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 31 May 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 7 Jun. 2025.

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