to squabble

Examples

• All

• They always squabble over the smallest things, like what to eat for dinner.

• A man, passing with his dog, threw crusts and the ducks came gobbling, squabbling, to snatch the crusts up.

  Fiction book (1990)

• If they want to squabble, they can take it outside.

  Fracture (2007)

• And, you know, hospital administrators and hospital physicians sometimes squabble among themselves about these issues.

• Look at us squabbling again.

  Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

• They squabble like small boys.

  What Price Hollywood? (1932)

• Also, we may squabble over who has to do what chore around the house.

  Academic text (2006)

• We just buried our friend less than an hour ago, and you're sitting here squabbling like little children.

  Someone's Knocking at the Door (2009)

• Dom and Benjamin squabbled over who should carry Tessa's bags into the house.

  Fiction book (1994)

• If you two can't play soccer without squabbling... I do wish you wouldn't play at all.

  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Synonyms

A

to argue

vsto squabble

607 1.1

To speak angrily with someone because you disagree

is narrower, focusing on noisy petty matters rather than general disputes

B

to bicker

vsto squabble

36 4.1

Argue again and again with someone about small unimportant things

is more often a single noisy event rather than ongoing petty arguing

Q

to quarrel

vsto squabble

35 2.6

To argue angrily with someone about small things

is noisier and focuses on loud petty arguing

Q

to quibble

vsto squabble

26 7.0

To argue about small unimportant details to avoid the main point

is more openly noisy and fights instead of merely objecting

S

to spat

vsto squabble

25 4.9

To have a short, unimportant argument with someone

is usually noisier and not limited to a single short exchange

B

to butt heads

vsto squabble

• Informal

13 6.3

To argue strongly with each other

is milder and focused on petty noisy bickering

H

to have words

vsto squabble

• Informal

11 6.9

Talk angrily to someone because of a disagreement

is generally about trivial noisy disputes rather than serious fights

W

to wrangle

vsto squabble

6 6.8

To argue loudly for a long time

is noisy too but usually shorter and about trivial matters

S

to scrap

vsto squabble

• Informal

5 4.1

To have a small fight about something unimportant

is more about noisy argument than physical confrontation

F

to flite

vsto squabble

• Archaic

2 9.9

To argue loudly with someone and continue for a long time

is noisy but usually less persistent or nagging

H

to have a quarrel

vsto squabble

2 2.8

Argue with someone and feel angry or upset afterward

is usually noisier and more about brief petty fighting

N

to niggle

vsto squabble

• UK

1 8.2

To argue about very small, unimportant details

is noisier and more public than quiet nitpicking

S

to stickle

vsto squabble

• Archaic

1 9.9

To argue in a stubborn way about small unimportant details

is noisier and less defined by stubborn refusal

B

to brabble

vsto squabble

• Archaic

9.9

To argue loudly about small unimportant things

has identical meaning and use focusing on noisy petty disputes

A

to argufy

vsto squabble

• Archaic

9.9

To disagree angrily about small, unimportant things

is noisy and shows loud petty disagreement

P

to pettifog

vsto squabble

• Archaic

9.9

Argue about small, unimportant details and waste time

is general noisy petty arguing without legalistic dishonesty

S

to skirmish over

vsto squabble

6.7

Argue a little about something, like where to eat

is typically louder and focused on petty noisy disputes

Antonyms

A

to agree

∞ 1.0

Have the same opinion or say yes

R

to reconcile

38 5.1

To become friendly again after a disagreement

How Argumentative

to fight

∞ 1.0

to quarrel

35 2.6

to squabble

• Informal

18 4.4

to bicker

36 4.1

to argue

∞ 2.8

Surface Forms

Etymology