altercate

verb

ˈȯl-tər-ˌkāt How to pronounce altercate (audio)
Definition of altercatenext
as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily this discussion is so silly we might as well altercate on how many angels can dance on the point of a needle

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for altercate
  1. bicker
  2. argue
  3. fight
  4. quarrel
  5. clash
  6. spat
  7. dispute
  8. brawl
Verb
  • Kimmel and Damon then bicker over who has a rightful paternal claim to the child, culminating in a pitch-perfect spoof of Maury featuring Short as Povich.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
  • There’s striker Josie Gordon, bickering twin sisters Siobhan and Niamh, glove-shunning goalie Katie ‘Boots’ Quinn and couple Maddie and Margy.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of bicker
Verb
  • Some officials argue that would let Iceland keep control of its waters, since no EU country has fished there for decades.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
  • While that figure was low, the researchers argued that even a small risk of unintended weapons use could be unacceptable in sensitive maritime confrontations.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of argue
Verb
  • Without a clear message from Warsh, investors began to doubt the Fed’s inflation-fighting resolve.
    — Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Federal safety investigators urged automakers to give emergency responders better guides on how to fight lithium-ion battery fires.
    — Todd C. Frankel, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fight
Verb
  • In Krisevich’s case, Konovalova repeatedly quarreled with the artist and his wife until the couple ultimately escaped Russia in December 2025.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In another clip, a student records himself quarreling with a teacher asking him to take out his notes.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of quarrel
Verb
  • But the move risks clashing with Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s own plans to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet — and with any Fed decision to tighten monetary policy.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Spanish protesters and migrants clashed with police and each other in Ceuta, one month after a horde of over 70,000 Moroccan migrants abruptly swarmed the small Spanish enclave.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of clash
Verb
  • Mulroney, Ackerman, Snow, and Newman turn this story of spatting WAGS into an explosive, addictive watch.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Preparation has cultural and regional variations, but the seed is usually chewed with slaked lime and betel leaves, and chewing releases a red juice that's often then spat out.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2025
Definition of spat
Verb
  • Amazon did not dispute key claims about the mechanics of its ad auctions, but said its system did not harm consumers or advertisers.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In his dueling closing argument, Sanft disputed that characterization, saying Davis had fabricated the account and that his retellings over the years often conflicted with one another and, at times, with the evidence.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispute
Verb
  • The teams brawled on the outside for minutes, but the chants started up again.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Well, maybe everyone except for the fans escorted out of the right-field bleachers after brawling, another clip that went viral on social media.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of brawl
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.

Browse Nearby Words

alterations
altercate
altercated
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Cite this Entry

“Altercate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altercate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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