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

Relevance

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
  • The two of them together, just 17 months apart, shared playlists, bickered over where to stop during Apple CarPlay calls, pulled up beside me and faded away with silly faces, encapsulating 20 years of my life in my rearview mirror.
    — Robert Duffer, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Like law enforcement agents everywhere, they’re disposed to bickering about jurisdiction or pumping each other for off-limits information.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of bicker
Verb
  • Rubio has argued that before holding new elections, Venezuela must stabilize its economy and rebuild its institutions, including its courts and electoral council.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Catholics have used Scripture to argue for and against deportations and strict immigration enforcement.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of argue
Verb
  • For now, Smith and her team are on the road as the Valkyries fight to take home the WNBA Championship Trophy.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • My school years passed in a sliding door moment, and all there was to behold in that frame was a young man who had to physically fight to be allowed to be someone else—himself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fight
Verb
  • The two were among two quarreling groups inside the club that began to fight, according to the report.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Between these endpoints of hate and love came an hour-long C-SPAN broadcast, on November 30, 1993, in which the men quarrelled, teased, and fielded calls.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of quarrel
Verb
  • There’s nothing off limits here, nothing too garish to clash with saxophone and strings.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Sonko, who was fired as premier in May, has clashed with his successor over how to manage the country’s debt.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 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
  • Bacelar disputed the accusations and said the lawsuit is filled with recycled claims that were previously litigated and dismissed.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Syrian government disputed the claim, saying the strikes left five dead, including women and children, as well as an elderly man.
    — Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of dispute
Verb
  • Combs was previously placed in solitary confinement after brawling with another inmate back in July.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Latino culture typecasts hombres as eternal machos always a few drinks away from brawling or bawling.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Altercate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altercate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All