as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
there was a bit of a contretemps over the seating arrangements for the upcoming wedding
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Recent Examples of contretemps
To outsiders, the summer’s weeks-long contretemps over the prime minister’s after-hours activities might seem like a tempest in a Nordic teapot.
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Michael Hunt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022
What’s followed have been a succession of contretemps.
—David A. Andelman, CNN, 26 Aug. 2022
Marin's lack of good judgment and naivete has led us to this ridiculous contretemps, which will eventually blow over.
—Marja Heinonen, CNN, 23 Aug. 2022
The normally dignified sport had a brief contretemps at the time of the opening game this year.
—New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021
See all Example Sentences for contretemps 
Michael Hunt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022
What’s followed have been a succession of contretemps.
—David A. Andelman, CNN, 26 Aug. 2022
Marin's lack of good judgment and naivete has led us to this ridiculous contretemps, which will eventually blow over.
—Marja Heinonen, CNN, 23 Aug. 2022
The normally dignified sport had a brief contretemps at the time of the opening game this year.
—New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021
See all Example Sentences for contretemps
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contretemps
Noun
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The farmers’ quarrels with vampires make sense, especially in smaller cattle herds, where losing even one cow can significantly hurt a farmer’s livelihood.Sebastian Stockmaier, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
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Khodr was concerned about rising tensions between the two communities competing for limited aid, and opened separate shelters to avoid quarrels; fifty-nine for Lebanese and five for Syrians.Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The complaint says police reviewed security footage of the altercation, which correlated with the girlfriend's telling of the incident, That occurred about a month before Graves is alleged to have shot and killed Quincy Smith.David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2024
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Lucy and Future Quinn get into a physical altercation, which ultimately ends with the killer's death.Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Ties have been at their lowest point in decades amid disputes over trade, technology, Taiwan and Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Yet, none of that was seen on ABC by the millions who subscribe to DirecTV as Disney was in a contract dispute with the satellite provider at the time.Dominic Patten, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The controversy began Thursday when Moulton spoke with The New York Times and implied that some of the Democratic Party’s policy positions on transgender rights contributed to the election losses of Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats.Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Wolk herself responded to the controversy by tweeting a bunch, naturally.Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Miss Manners notes that this is not a political disagreement, nor a misunderstanding, nor a private thought that was not meant for public consumption, nor a joke gone wrong.Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
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Negotiations have been rife with disagreement when the states have come together, such as in early 2023, when six of the states in the basin united to propose a plan for water conservation.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Better to follow the West German example and achieve full NATO membership for independent Ukraine than to watch essential U.S. support dwindle as Congress bickers and Trump’s reelection odds increase.M. E. Sarotte, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2024
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Meanwhile, Esmeralda bickers with her daughter Jacqueline (Tenley Stitzer), who’s terrified of nuclear war and obsessed with rocker David Lee Roth.Celia Wren, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
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Both the prosecution and now the defense have rested in Richard Allen's murder trial in Delphi, Indiana, setting the stage for closing arguments Thursday.Jordan Smith, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Nov. 2024
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To me, the instinct is never to try to win the argument.Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Witnesses and surveillance video footage established that there were multiple fights involving the concerned parties throughout the evening.Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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But once the fight ended, Talley said things calmed down and after some time even more people congregated in the parking lot.Marquise Francis, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Contretemps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contretemps. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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