adversary
/ˈædvɝˌsɛɹi/
nouna person that one is opposed to and fights or competes with
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Examples
1. Another adversary wasted.
2. And although in the courtroom it will be adversaries butting heads, in the real world, it isn't adversaries butting heads.
3. The adversaries are well-matched.
4. - Time and proximity can change adversaries into allies.
5. Assess your adversary.
against
/əˈɡeɪnst/, /əˈɡɛnst/
prepositionin opposition to someone or something
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Examples
1. I learned a hard lesson today about the judgment and discrimination and retaliation against people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
2. We experience reconnaissance missions and attacks against electrical companies every day.
3. He frisked both of my brothers, who were 15 and 16, against the rail on the second floor.
4. Do you believe the allegations against Roy Moore?
5. Narrator: A METALWORKER CLAMPS THE DISK AGAINST A FORM IN A LATHE.
all hell break (loose / out)
/ˈɔːl hˈɛl bɹˈeɪk lˈuːs ˈaʊt/
phraseused when a situation suddenly becomes very intense or chaotic
Examples
altercation
/ˌɑɫtɝˈkeɪʃən/
nouna noisy dispute
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Examples
1. And there was an altercation.
2. There's an altercation between the two men.
3. - Did you ever have any altercations?
4. - I had some altercations in Arizona.
5. The altercation is almost too cringeworthy to watch.
anti
/ˈænˌtaɪ/, /ˈænˌti/
prepositionagainst; in disagreement with
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Examples
1. We on The Jim Jefferies Show were anti.
2. 80% is still anti.
3. Anti fragile was the name of the game.
4. Anti-vaxxers, what are you doing?
5. In 2016, her album Anti dropped.
to argue
/ˈɑɹɡju/
verbto speak to someone often angrily because one disagrees with them
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Examples
1. Trump's lawyer, Alan Dershowitz himself once argued the opposite during the Clinton impeachment.
2. As historians and economists argue the criteria, adjustments due to inflation and the values of commodities and services.
3. Realistically, the man can argue three legal theories for a lawsuit.
4. Proponents of immunity would also argue logistical problems.
5. The loser of this round has to argue the next round with their feet in ice water.
argument
/ˈɑɹɡjəmənt/
nouna discussion, typically a serious one, between two or more people with different views
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Examples
1. Here's my argument to you, Destin nashe Okay.
2. The argument I'm going to give traces back to Descartes, the great early modern philosopher.
3. They win arguments.
4. You have arguments.
5. They have arguments.
to argue with
/ˈɑːɹɡjuː wɪð/
verbto deny a statement
Examples
argumentative
/ˌɑɹɡjəˈmɛntətɪv/
adjective(of a person) ready to argue and often arguing
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Examples
1. We're argumentative buggers as people.
2. It's a little argumentative.
3. - Yeah, argumentative again.
4. I'm argumentative, but he just kind of.
5. You're argumentative?
as a matter of fact
/æz ɐ mˈæɾɚɹ ʌv fˈækt/
adverbsaid to disagree with what someone just said
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Examples
1. As a matter of fact folders can have multiple screens inside them.
2. As a matter of fact this one obscures the others.
3. As a matter of fact, when he was in the storm
4. As a matter of fact take that particular window full screen.
5. Chinese restaurants have played an important role in American history, as a matter of fact.
athwart
/əθˈwɔɹt/
prepositionopposite to; against
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Examples
1. When the Canandaiagua got astern and lying athwart the Housatonic, about four ship lengths off, I saw a blue light on the water.
2. But thinking something is silly is no reason to stand athwart the tide of linguistic change, grumble grumble.
3. spread your white sails my little bark athwart the imperious waves, Chant on, sail on, bear o'er the boundless blue from me to every sea, This song for mariners and all their ships.
at loggerheads
/æt lˈɔɡɚhˌɛdz/
phrasein serious disagreement with someone
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Examples
1. With both sides at loggerheads, Zipporah has appealed to the government's independent planning inspector to hear her case.
2. And, right now, Republicans and Democrats are at loggerheads.
3. India, which has also been at loggerheads with China recently, has already banned TikTok, citing similar national security concerns.
4. Principle and practice are at loggerheads under capitalism.
5. The critical legal studies movement was coming into play, and more conservative elements of the faculty, and they were at loggerheads.
at odds
/æt ˈɑːdz/
phrase(of opinions) in contrast to one another
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Examples
1. Our urban spaces are at odds with the natural environment.
2. Our current pair, Mark and David Brooks, were at odds on the war in Iraq.
3. The consistencies are very much at odds.
4. The warning from the collective wisdom stands at odds with his individuality at that moment.
5. Even the dogs are at odds about this.
bad feelings
/bˈæd fˈiːlɪŋz/
nounfeeling of anger between people, particularly because of an argument
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Examples
1. Those bad feelings will linger for a while.
2. - I got bad feelings about these gender revealings.
3. The children may have bad feelings about their birth parents or their adoptive parents.
4. - You're not leaving with bad feelings.
5. No bad feelings or anything, feeling pretty good?
to bang one's heads together
/bˈæŋ wˈʌnz hˈɛdz təɡˈɛðɚ/
phraseto forcefully make people stop arguing and start behaving appropriately
Examples
battle
/ˈbætəɫ/
nouna situation in which opposing sides argue or compete with one another to achieve something
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Examples
1. Battling the cameras, forgettable practical image.
2. The ceremony begins with a mock battle between the midwives and the other physicians.
3. Winter ants battle Argentine ants with weapons caught on film for the very first time!
4. Battle follows four steps.
5. My grandma battled cancer for 13 years.
battleground
/ˈbætəɫˌɡɹaʊnd/
nouna subject of dispute; a situation in which people disagree
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Examples
1. Next, we have Playerunknown's Battlegrounds.
2. US beaches and pools remain battlegrounds today.
3. Worlds is their battleground.
4. Universities have turned into battlegrounds.
5. So where are battlegrounds?
to beard the lion in (his / her) den
/bˈɪɹd ðə lˈaɪən ɪn hɪz hɜː dˈɛn/
phraseto visit a person of authority and demand things of them or tell them that one disagrees with them
Examples
at each other's throats
/æt ˈiːtʃ ˈʌðɚz θɹˈoʊts/
phraseused when two or more people, groups, or organizations fight or disagree with one another
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Examples
1. Or is it a jumble of different, competing groups, constantly at each other’s throats, struggling for control?
2. They run their experiments on the following basic plan: put a crew together, monitor their sleep, metabolism, and psychological state, and see what they can learn about keeping a crew healthy, productive, and not at each other’s throats.
3. But it really wasn’t all that normal, with Dahmer later telling investigators that while his parents were educated and the family had money, they were hardly ever not at each other’s throats.
4. It began in the summer of 1892, when two Austrian noblewomen, the Princess Pauline Metternich and the Countess Anastasia Kiielmansegg, were at each other’s throats over the matter of the floral arrangements for the Vienna Musical Theatrical Exhibition (the Princess was the Exhibition’s Honorary President and the Countess was the President of the Ladies’ Committee).
bellicose
/ˈbɛɫəˌkoʊs/
adjectivedisplaying a willingness to start an argument, fight, or war
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Examples
1. You're bellicose.
2. What does bellicose mean?
3. Bellicose, you're prone to warfare.
4. This expansion put them on the doorstep of another bellicose Empire, the Hittites.
5. The animal was studying him with bellicose curiosity.
bellicosity
/bˌɛlɪkˈɑːsɪɾi/
nounthe desire to start an argument, fight, or war
Examples
to bicker
/ˈbɪkɝ/
verbto argue over unimportant things
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Examples
1. - We are never bickering -
2. I've never bickered, - Guys?
3. People can bicker on their own time.
4. George and Katherine bicker over who's to blame.
5. Can we not bicker now?!
bickering
/ˈbɪkɝɪŋ/
nounargument over unimportant things
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Examples
1. I've heard a lot of stories about a lot of bickering at the kibbutz.
2. - We've put aside all turf wars and inter-departmental bickering.
3. These bickering scribes aren’t content with matres lectionis.
4. These bickering scribes aren’t content with matres lectionis.
5. The bickering, lovingly contentious relationship that realtor David Visentin and designer Hilary Farr display on Love It or List
to bite / hold one's (tongue / lip)
/bˈaɪt hˈoʊld wˈʌnz tˈʌŋ lˈɪp/
phraseto not say something, against one's wish, in order to avoid causing an argument or upsetting someone
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Examples
1. - Bite your tongue!
2. So OK, I'll bite my tongue and we'll see what happens here.
3. Or, bite her tongue, and keep on pretending, for the benefit of maintaining the life she worked so hard to build.
4. Well, like my mother said, bite your tongue.
5. Oh, I bit my tongue.
bone of contention
/bˈoʊn ʌv kəntˈɛnʃən/
phrasea subject over which people disagree
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Examples
1. Against whom, exactly, is the bone of contention.
2. There's, there's been one bone of contention, which is my character's name, which is Bill Cox.
3. ISIS was even a bone of contention between the French and American presidents.
4. So that’s been a bone of contention.
5. Given that Rosalía isn't from the area and doesn't share the heritage, this has become a bone of contention for some.
but
/ˈbət/
conjunctionsaid to introduce a statement that displays one's surprise, anger, or disagreement
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Examples
1. But the sun was not exactly above in other locations to the east or west.
2. Their new house had a garden, but the garden was very small.
3. But in the afternoon, some customers come back.
4. But her charm had inspired lethal jealousy.
5. But I have some suggestions for different people.
to carry on
/kˈæɹi ˈɑːn/
verbto keep arguing or complaining in a way that is annoying
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Examples
1. Carry on.
2. Carry on.
3. Carry on.
4. Carry on.
5. Carry on.
challenging
/ˈtʃæɫəndʒɪŋ/
adjectivecausing disagreement or competition
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Examples
1. Infrastructure is very challenging.
2. Integration across data sources is extraordinarily challenging.
3. The governance issues are even more challenging.
4. Painting is very challenging.
5. This one looks a little bit more challenging. -
clash
/ˈkɫæʃ/
nouna serious argument between two sides caused by their different views and beliefs
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Examples
1. "Riot cops, workers clash."
2. On December 4th 530BC, the armies of Cyrus and Tomyris clashed.
3. Under the watchful eye of the females, the males clash.
4. Under the watchful eye of the females, the males clash.
5. Sometimes, personalities clash.
to clash
/ˈkɫæʃ/
verbto strongly and publicly argue or disagree with someone
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Examples
1. "Riot cops, workers clash."
2. On December 4th 530BC, the armies of Cyrus and Tomyris clashed.
3. Under the watchful eye of the females, the males clash.
4. Under the watchful eye of the females, the males clash.
5. Sometimes, personalities clash.
to collide
/kəˈɫaɪd/
verb(of people, their opinions, ideas, etc.) to seriously disagree
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Examples
1. The plates can also collide.
2. A block of mass 46 kg, collides with some elephant.
3. Two cars collide.
4. They collide.
5. The two vehicles collided.
collision
/kəˈɫɪʒən/
nouna serious disagreement between people, ideas, opinions, etc.
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Examples
1. Anyways, collisions are huge in physics, metaphorically.
2. Collisions with air molecules provide a force in the other direction.
3. Such collisions can drive the plot forward.
4. The collision would cause friction between the two planets.
5. In that case, the collision completely transformed Jupiter's core.
combative
/ˌkɑmˈbæˌtɪv/, /kəmˈbætɪv/
adjectiveeager and ready to start an argument or fight
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Examples
1. She's combative.
2. He's very combative in certain ways.
3. I have a combative relationship with my cooking equipment.
4. Crocodile society is run on highly combative domination tactics.
5. You weren't combative.
come off it
/kˈʌm ˈɔf ɪt/
sentenceused to tell someone that they should stop saying or doing a particular thing
Examples
to come out on top
/kˈʌm ˈaʊt ˌɑːn tˈɑːp/
phraseto win an argument or other competitive situation
Examples
conflict
/ˈkɑnfɫɪkt/, /kənˈfɫɪkt/
nouna strong disagreement, usually a prolonged one
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Examples
1. Conflict ended.
2. At the same time, every organization has conflict.
3. Immediately address conflict.
4. Conflict is.
5. Others do cause conflict.
to conflict
/ˈkɑnfɫɪkt/, /kənˈfɫɪkt/
verb(of two ideas, opinions, etc.) to oppose each other
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Examples
1. Conflict ended.
2. At the same time, every organization has conflict.
3. Immediately address conflict.
4. Conflict is.
5. Others do cause conflict.
to confront
/kənˈfɹənt/
verbto face someone, particularly in a way that is unfriendly or threatening
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Examples
1. The trainee must then confront an assailant.
2. Thousands of Chicago police confronted anti-war protestors.
3. Her work confronts the disasters of excessive punishment and over-reliance on the penal system.
4. Even the most glamorous models and movie stars sometimes confront feelings of inadequacy.
5. The males from the herd confront the rivals.
confrontation
/ˌkɑnfɹənˈteɪʃən/
nouna situation of hostility or strong disagreement between two opposing individuals, parties, or groups
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Examples
1. I start a confrontation.
2. I hate confrontation.
3. With the presence of man in its territory, and the decline of its natural prey, confrontation was inevitable.
4. With the presence of man in its territory, and the decline of its natural prey, confrontation was inevitable.
5. Very few people enjoy confrontation.
confrontational
/ˌkɑnfɹənˈteɪʃənəɫ/
adjectivelikely to cause arguments because of being aggressive
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Examples
1. This is somewhat confrontational.
2. They're more confrontational.
3. God is confrontational.
4. He's confrontational.
5. - I'm also so confrontational.
contention
/kənˈtɛnʃən/
nounstrong disagreement
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Examples
1. Watson's journal added a bit of contention to the proceedings.
2. Namely the contention that there was no subject matter jurisdiction.
3. Another point of contention was the Sassanid inheritance.
4. - Contention, I should say.
5. Contention remains as to whether circumcision was a sign of pride rather than prejudice among the ancient Egyptian world.
contentious
/kənˈtɛnʃəs/
adjective*** someone who is contentious often argues with people
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Examples
1. Even more contentious, though, was the idea of a Greek counterattack.
2. The bankruptcies now are very contentious.
3. But that batch of votes became contentious.
4. However, the creation of the mandate was profoundly contentious.
5. - A debate is contentious.
to contradict
/ˌkɑntɹəˈdɪkt/
verbto disagree with someone, particularly by asserting the opposite of their statement
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Examples
1. This contradicted the 2001 notion of architecture.
2. Time and time again, cell phone videos contradict the official reports.
3. Also archaeological evidence contradicts the picture in Joshua.
4. The reality totally contradicted initial perceptions of this planet.
5. Very often the claims contradict.
contrarian
/ˌkɑnˈtɹɛɹiən/
nounsomeone who acts against popular opinion, particularly in investment markets
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Examples
1. I can have a contrarian opinion.
2. But being counter-cyclical like that, a contrarian like that can add value.
3. Be a contrarian.
4. A lot of innovative stuff is kind of contrarian.
5. - Of course you are, contrarian.
contretemps
/ˈkɑntɹəˌtɛmps/
nouna slight disagreement or an unpleasant event that causes embarrassment
Examples
controversial
/ˌkɑntɹəˈvɝʃəɫ/
adjectivecausing a lot of strong public disagreement or discussion
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Examples
1. That part is far more controversial.
2. The U.S. troop pullout is controversial.
3. His cause of death remains somewhat controversial.
4. Farms like this are controversial.
5. The chairman's statement was also controversial.
controversially
/kˌɑːntɹəvˈɜːʃəli/
adverbin a way that causes strong public disagreement
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Examples
1. Third, finally, and most controversially, global brands provide China with extra-territorial power.
2. Martin Luther King and others controversially sent schoolchildren into the streets who were subject to mass arrests.
3. Ad controversially questions Trump's health.
4. Finally, I suppose most controversially, David Bell's book, The First Total War, which I'll discuss some of the themes in a while.
5. And most controversially, it means the tar sands.
controversy
/ˈkɑntɹəˌvɝsi/
nouna strong disagreement or argument over something that involves many people
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Examples
1. The controversies add up.
2. Controversy was no stranger to his home life, either.
3. I realize controversy.
4. But for some, the message sparks controversy.
5. Cue the controversy.
to ask for trouble
/ˈæsk fɔːɹ tɹˈʌbəl/
phraseto do something that is very likely to result in trouble or difficulty
Examples
on a collision course
/ˌɑːn ɐ kəlˈɪʒən kˈoːɹs/
phrasein a situation that is likely to cause a disagreement or fight
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Examples
1. It's on a collision course, and gets 2 meters closer to Mars every year.
2. So researchers who study autonomous systems are collaborating with philosophers to address the complex problem of programming ethics into machines, which goes to show that even hypothetical dilemmas can wind up on a collision course with the real world.
3. As you close the gap between you and the contact, your bearing rate also remains constant, meaning it also graphs as a vertical line, vertical lines on a bearing rate chart means you're on a collision course.
4. Oh by the way your center of gravity just moved half way down your vehicle, you're doing this while you're on a collision course with the ground and you're going several times the speed of sound using materials that were the lightest you had available
5. We've all witnessed the beauty of a shooting star, but what would happen if an asteroid was on a collision course for earth?