squabble
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
squabblesimple
-
squabblessimple
-
have squabbledperfect
-
has squabbledperfect
-
am squabblingprogressive
-
are squabblingprogressive
-
is squabblingprogressive
-
have been squabblingperfect progressive
-
has been squabblingperfect progressive
Past
-
squabbledsimple
-
had squabbledperfect
-
was squabblingprogressive
-
were squabblingprogressive
-
had been squabblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of squabble
1595–1605; probably < Scandinavian; compare Swedish dialect skvabbel a quarrel, gossip, Norwegian dialect skvabba to prattle
Explanation
A squabble is a fight but not necessarily a serious one. When we squabble, we have a little argument, probably about something not too important. Do you notice how squabble sounds kind of funny? That's a clue that a squabble is not the most serious kind of argument or fight. A loud, screaming fight would never be called a squabble. A small, silly discussion about something small or trivial is more of a squabble. Friends and family members squabble all the time.
Vocabulary lists containing squabble
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Long may we squabble over the meaning of America; the freedom to differ helps define who we are.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
The lawsuit said the plaintiff has suffered “severe emotional distress, including anxiety, humiliation, loss of standing in his community and harm to his professional relationships” as a result of his squabble with Ye.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026
There was a time when the public picked a team in the Murdoch family’s squabble.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2026
And like in any squabble, there will be a winner and a loser.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 25, 2026
And as he claimed this his voice grew warm and he forgot to squabble with his children and he was full of plans and activity.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
And as the oldest baby boomers turn 80, an age when health issues tend to become more complex, family squabbles over eldercare will likely increase, experts say.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The lead-up to the tournament was punctuated by squabbles over trade, security and harsh immigration policies in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Her teenage characters are more preoccupied with crushes and exams than bombs and checkpoints, and their daily squabbles and concerns helped give the show "universal" appeal.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
Twenty-six years after Jack and Greg first sparred, “Focker-in-Law” is set to rehash old squabbles.
From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2026
Though it’s been ages since I’ve written to you about the squabbles, there’s still no change.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Parton’s in-laws and her own father squabbled over who bore the financial burden of supporting Parton and her daughters, for Handsome Charlie had left his household in debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
O'Donnell and Trump have squabbled publicly and repeatedly since her first stint as a co-host on ABC's "The View."
From Salon ● Mar. 12, 2025
And as Leclerc then squabbled with the recovering Sainz, and the Ferraris then ran into tyre trouble before Mercedes and Verstappen, Russell stretched out his lead to take control of the race.
From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2024
Executives at Mistral, meanwhile, squabbled online with a researcher from an Elon Musk-backed nonprofit that aims to prevent “existential risk” from AI.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
They squabbled over whether I should wear jeans or leggings.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
An issue like that can intensify the squabbling when a death occurs in the family.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
"He's looking after us while me and Jude are squabbling with each other," Rogers said.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
One cannot avoid squabbling, she wrote, because it constitutes “the natural state of people pitted against each other, helplessly furious people.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
As they flew away from Brussels over the weekend, the pair left behind a just-defused crisis in transatlantic relations and internal squabbling over another trade deal with South American nations.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
When Alexander died in 323 BC, his squabbling generals split his empire into pieces.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.