squabble 1 of 2

noun

ˈskwä-bəl How to pronounce squabble (audio)
Definition of squabblenext
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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squabble

2 of 2

verb

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun squabble contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of squabble are altercation, quarrel, and wrangle. While all these words mean "a noisy dispute usually marked by anger," 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 could altercation be used to replace squabble?

The words altercation and squabble 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 quarrel be used instead of squabble?

While the synonyms quarrel and squabble are close in meaning, quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.

a quarrel nearly destroyed the relationship

When is it sensible to use wrangle instead of squabble?

The words wrangle and squabble are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 squabble
Noun
But even the past shows signs of treading water, with the team returning to schoolgirl squabbles while their survival isn’t in immediate danger. —Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 14 Feb. 2025 The spot begins with a domestic squabble over a can with an aerosol nozzle. —The New York Times, New York Times, 18 Jan. 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
  1. dispute
  2. bicker
  3. quarrel
  4. argue
  5. altercation
  6. fight
  7. disagreement
  8. spat
Noun
  • An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the cancellations, but the company has noted in its annual report that international trade disputes, including tariffs, pose a risk to its business.
    — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 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
Definition of dispute
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
Definition of bicker
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
  • The basketball star has a reputation for being able to silence media noise in the most crucial moments, but the family element of this quarrel seems to have hit a little too close to home this time.
    — Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
Definition of quarrel
Verb
  • 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
  • Daron Acemoglu has argued for a more all-encompassing approach.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of argue
Noun
  • The two then had an altercation, during which one of the children was knocked over and Villalobos fled, according to authorities.
    — Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Although officially estranged, the couple were still living together with their three sons under the age of 11 at the time of the July 16, 2023, altercation outside their house.
    — Liam Quinn, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of altercation
Verb
  • An affidavit reviewed by USA TODAY indicates Balmer and his spouse were fighting during the January 2023 incident when Penbrook Police responded.
    — Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The disgraced music mogul has fought to be released from jail pending trial three times, with his most recent attempt denied on Nov. 27.
    — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of fight
Noun
  • This is the classic day for disagreements with anyone in a position of authority.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2025
  • 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
Definition of disagreement
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
Definition of spat

Browse Nearby Words

squab
squabble
squabbled
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Cite this Entry

“Squabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squabble. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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