squabble

Everyday

1. To squabble is to argue noisily about something small and unimportant. tree →
2. A squabble is a small, silly argument. tree →

In the lessons

In family life and stories, siblings squabble over the TV remote, the front seat or the last biscuit. Lessons on friends and families teach how to stop squabbling: take turns, share, listen. In the news, politicians' squabbles are minor quarrels. Birds such as seagulls squabble over food.

Examples

• My brother and I squabbled over the last slice of pizza. tree →
• Stop squabbling and take turns! tree →
• The twins had a squabble about whose turn it was. tree →
• Seagulls squabbled over a chip on the beach. tree →
• The kids squabbled all the way to the seaside. tree →
• It was just a little squabble; they were friends again by lunchtime. tree →
• The politicians squabbled about the new road. tree →
• Without me they'll be orphans left, and from door to door have to beg their bread and squabble with dogs." tree →

Note

Double b: squabble. Drop the e before -ing: squabbling. A squabble is smaller and sillier than a fight or a quarrel.