spat 1 of 2

noun

Definition of spatnext
as in altercation
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions like any couple, they have their spats

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spat

2 of 2

verb

as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily we tend to spat over money more than anything else

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 spat
Noun
Today's other big news A congressional hearing on sanctuary cities descended into chaos amid a spat between Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, and Representative Ayanna Pressley as four Democratic mayors of four sanctuary cities were brought in to testify. — Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025 The Zelensky press conference spat generated blizzards of irate commentary followed by all manner of disinformation and a great deal of division within the US. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
The teenager first asked the hotel to forgive him, the lawsuit said, but soon flew into a rage, screaming that the hotel was antisemitic and that its employees spat in people’s food. — Liam Stack, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Aug. 2023 South Carolina was on the east bank and Georgia on the west; the temperature was in the fifties, and gray clouds spat water in our faces. — Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for spat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spat
  1. altercation
  2. bicker
  3. quarrel
  4. argue
  5. dispute
  6. fight
  7. controversy
  8. brawl
Noun
  • The 18-year-old’s boyfriend was seen in the footage attempting to stop the altercation.
    — Angel Saunders, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The sole witness to the altercation was the car’s driver, who testified at the trial through an Urdu language translator.
    — Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of altercation
Verb
  • The 39-year-old victim and her boyfriend, identified by sources as 34-year-old Daquan Spence, bickered over smokes in their apartment on 155th St. near Baisley Blvd.
    — Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Without politics to bicker over or political visions to debate, the candidates mostly pitched themselves and their personal connections to the community.
    — Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of bicker
Noun
  • The quarrel swiftly escalated when Perez allegedly struck her twice on the left side of her temple and pulled her hair.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025
  • As the quarrel over seating escalated, the attacker, who was wearing a black face mask, slashed the victim on his left hand with an unknown weapon.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of quarrel
Verb
  • The big picture: Democrats have hammered Trump and Elon Musk for their approach to slicing federal agencies, arguing the administration has cut positions and programs without a clear understanding of the consequences.
    — Stephen Neukam, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Indeed, some analysts remain bullish — for example, ARK Invest famously projects massive long-term upside for Tesla, and Wedbush’s Dan Ives argues that autonomous tech is the holy grail that will eventually vindicate Tesla’s valuation.
    — Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of argue
Noun
  • The White House is trying to have it every way possible in a high-stakes dispute over its speedy deportation of hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador.
    — Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The dispute came after President Donald Trump invoked a centuries-old law that would give him the ability to deport any noncitizen with little to no due process.
    — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of dispute
Verb
  • The new administration’s push to strip EPA’s regulatory powers would resonate beyond U.S. borders, where the global community is fighting to prevent irreversible climate damage.
    — Margo T. Oge, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Mills now fights to preserve her state’s refusal to keep men out of women’s sports.
    — James Erwin, National Review, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of fight
Noun
  • The controversy surrounding Musk's involvement in Social Security stems from his push for deep cuts in government spending while also suggesting Social Security could be targeted.
    — William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
  • The estate, at the edge of Chico State’s campus, served as a cultural touchstone and educational space for generations of Chico residents, but not without controversy.
    — Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of controversy
Verb
  • Everything explodes during a solstice dinner, when Shauna spits in Mari’s venison stew, which leads to the two girls brawling right there at the dinner table.
    — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Cut to the two men brawling in the bowels of a derelict ship in the Miami port, where Spencer has imprisoned and ultimately attempts to drown his son to evade capture.
    — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Definition of brawl

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Cite this Entry

“Spat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spat. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spat

Nglish: Translation of spat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spat

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