to part company
/pˈɑːɹt kˈʌmpəni/
phraseto disagree over something
Examples
to part ways
/pˈɑːɹt wˈeɪz/
phraseto disagree over something
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Examples
1. Either Senator Manchin can be the one who aids and abets voter suppression, or Senator Manchin, like Lyndon Baines Johnson before him, can be the one who decides to part ways with those who would suppress the vote.
2. So once you've decided to part ways with your device, you could throw it in a box like I used to do.
3. As they prepare to part ways, the twins wonder what will happen when they’re reunited.
4. With no bright future in Uber, the company he helped grow into a worldwide business, Kalanick decided to part ways in 2019.
5. When Romeo and Juliet's worlds collide, will they stick together and live happily ever after, or will they tragically part ways after their brief encounter?
to pick a fight / quarrel (with sb / )
/pˈɪk ɐ fˈaɪt kwˈɔːɹəl wɪð ˌɛsbˈiː/
phraseto intentionally start an argument or fight
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Examples
1. European institutions are not afraid to pick a fight with companies such as Microsoft, Apple or Facebook about fair competition, tax evasion or data protection.
2. Trump wasn't content to pick a fight with just one professional SPORT.
3. In this case, it could simply be that Hooke picked a fight with the wrong guy.
4. That's Kevin Cirilli, chief Washington correspondent for Bloomberg television Both are ambitious, driven, and not afraid to pick a fight, even if it will lead to controversy, and scandal
5. It was very clear to us, in the summer leading up to August of 2008, that the Russians were prepared to pick a fight.
polarity
/poʊˈɫɛɹəti/
nounthe opposition between two opinions, tendencies, etc.
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Examples
1. Sexual attraction comes from polarity.
2. Polarity is absolutely critical to the UK market.
3. But as of now, this polarity serves our expansion.
4. Polarity implies attraction.
5. Genuine authenticity involves both polarities.
polarization
/ˌpoʊɫɝəˈzeɪʃən/, /ˌpoʊɫɝɪˈzeɪʃən/
nouna split between two opposing groups
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Examples
1. This scanner measures polarization in red.
2. Polarization is like light's orientation.
3. Small disturbances can change photon polarization.
4. We create polarization.
5. So polarization is when charge separates.
to polarize
/ˈpoʊɫɝˌaɪz/
verbto be divided into two opposing groups
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Examples
1. The scattering of light in the atmosphere or under water can also partially polarize light.
2. Great products, great services, great innovation polarizes people.
3. Great products polarize people.
4. The information age can polarize.
5. - Polarized,
to protest
/ˈpɹoʊˌtɛst/, /pɹəˈtɛst/
verbto express opposition or disapproval either with words or in action, particularly in public
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Examples
1. These people were protesting corruption in the government and high taxation.
2. Close to 150 demonstrators protested the mask mandate.
3. Thousands protested mandatory masking measures.
4. Some gladiators protested their poor treatment.
5. Unsurprisingly, her family protested her pole dancing adventure.
protest
/ˈpɹoʊˌtɛst/, /pɹəˈtɛst/
nounstrong objection to or disapproval of something; actions or words that display this
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Examples
1. These people were protesting corruption in the government and high taxation.
2. Close to 150 demonstrators protested the mask mandate.
3. Thousands protested mandatory masking measures.
4. Some gladiators protested their poor treatment.
5. Unsurprisingly, her family protested her pole dancing adventure.
provocation
/ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/
nouna statement or action that causes anger or is intended to make someone upset or angry
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Examples
1. Here's another provocation.
2. Nevertheless, Trotsky's book is a provocation.
3. And the provocation was genius.
4. Provocation from Moscow was nothing new for the West.
5. However, on the other side, provocation is a defense.
provocative
/pɹoʊˈvɑkətɪv/
adjectivecausing anger or argument, particularly intentionally
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Examples
1. President Putin's comments today were quite provocative.
2. The very idea of a male ballerina was provocative.
3. You’re provocative.
4. The dominant form is provocative.
5. You've got provocative questions.
provocatively
/pɹoʊˈvɑkətɪvɫi/
adverbin a manner that causes anger or argument, particularly intentionally
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Examples
1. Knowing this, Ilse Koch began dressing provocatively on purpose.
2. Because I provocatively said at the outset, I agree with Schrodinger, that we need a new type of physical law.
3. He also insists, however, cannily and provocatively on the mediated quality of his words.
4. And he does it extremely provocatively.
5. She flirts provocatively.
to provoke
/pɹəˈvoʊk/
verbto intentionally annoy someone so that they become angry
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Examples
1. Initially, the high interest rates definitely provoked a recession in 1981 and 1982.
2. This statement likely provokes fear among some.
3. To my surprise the question provoked a burst of anger from the salesman.
4. The announcement has provoked an extraordinary reaction from Boris Johnson's opponents.
5. This subject provokes so much confusion.
pugnacious
/pəɡˈnæʃɪs/
adjectiveeager to start a fight or argument
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Examples
1. And he is pugnacious on social media.
2. WILLIAM BURNS - I really do think it was a pugnacious exclamation point on what you could see building over the couple of years before that, and particularly since the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the Rose Revolution in Georgia.
3. He could play this three-pronged pact with his nation without resorting too much to pugnacious statements on the global scene.
4. Certainly not the most like pugnacious or ready to fight or anything like that.
5. Moore is a combative and pugnacious poet.
pugnaciously
/pʌɡnˈeɪʃəsli/
adverbin a way that displays eagerness to start a fight or argument
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Examples
1. She boldly, unblinkingly, even pugnaciously, wrathfully even, when her bottle was empty.
pugnacity
/pʌɡnˈæsɪɾi/
nouneagerness to start a fight or argument
Examples
to quarrel
/ˈkwɔɹəɫ/
verbto have a serious argument
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Examples
1. An ant has no quarrel with a boot.
2. [upbeat music] - Your quarrel is with my daughter, Rosamind, not me.
3. They quarrel.
4. Yet almost straight away, new quarrels stirred up.
5. They were quarreling.
quarrel
/ˈkwɔɹəɫ/
nouna serious argument, usually between people who know each other well
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Examples
1. An ant has no quarrel with a boot.
2. [upbeat music] - Your quarrel is with my daughter, Rosamind, not me.
3. They quarrel.
4. Yet almost straight away, new quarrels stirred up.
5. They were quarreling.
quarrelsome
/ˈkwɔɹəɫsəm/
adjectivearguing a lot
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Examples
1. For instance, travelers discovered that people across Asia didn’t seem as quarrelsome as Europeans. 12.
2. But Comte had a quarrelsome nature and fell out with Saint-Simon, failed to get a university post, and for the rest of his life, maintained a precarious existence writing dense, often unreadable, works about the reform of humanity.
3. The bishop must be above reproach, married only once, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4. He was gesturing in a quarrelsome, agitated manner with another man.
5. You might be quarrelsome.
to quibble
/ˈkwɪbəɫ/
verbto argue over unimportant things or to complain about them
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Examples
1. Shaq's main quibble had shifted.
2. I've no patience for your quibbles.
3. Other quibbles, notifications don't really have enough space to spread out.
4. I do have legitimate quibbles with it.
5. So we want my quibble over the over the reserves
quibble
/ˈkwɪbəɫ/
nouna minor criticism or complaint about something that is not important
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Examples
1. Shaq's main quibble had shifted.
2. I've no patience for your quibbles.
3. Other quibbles, notifications don't really have enough space to spread out.
4. I do have legitimate quibbles with it.
5. So we want my quibble over the over the reserves
rift
/ˈɹɪft/
nounan end to a friendly relationship between people or organizations caused by a serious disagreement
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Examples
1. Both operations widened the rift between the Sikh minority and the rest of the country.
2. But one appearance caused a rift with the administration.
3. The rift with her older daughter remains.
4. The Touch controllers use a band of LEDs and an external tracking camera that the oculus rift uses.
5. Okay everyone, the rift is stable.
riven
/ˈɹɪvən/
adjective(of a group of people) divided by disagreements, particularly violently
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Examples
1. And he's left our nation riven, basically broken up into warring political tribes.
2. 'When he'd finished, there stood pine trees, scaly and riven, crags steep and precipitous, clear water and turbulent clouds.
3. I think that the constantly riven panels make the public think, well, the law is not one thing.
4. But in a world riven by inequality and injustice, how much of a priority is the return of stolen art?
5. I looked into the face of her son sitting next to her, and his face was just riven with grief and confusion.
row
/ˈɹoʊ/
nouna noisy bitter argument between countries, organizations, people, etc.
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Examples
1. - That really rows my boat.
2. But these special Category rows here.
3. Install row one on the starting line.
4. Row, rowed.
5. Row, rowed.
ruckus
/ˈɹəkəs/
nouna noisy argument or activity
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Examples
1. So that caused a ruckus.
2. Somebody brought the ruckus over there.
3. They are bringing the ruckus.
4. -Caused a huge ruckus.
5. Luckily, the Lech family's boy hears the ruckus in the garage.
ructions
/ɹˈʌkʃənz/
nounangry arguments or complaints
Examples
run-in
/ɹˈʌnˈɪn/
nouna fight or argument, particularly with someone with authority
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Examples
1. Do you have run-ins with paramilitaries?
2. U.S. troops have had run-ins with Assad’s forces as well as groups backed by Russia and Iran.
3. Human DNA is full of battle scars from our species’ past run-ins with parasites.
4. But the character did have some run-ins with other Disney favorites.
5. She had run-ins with the tabloids early on, due to some tough times for her family.
scene
/ˈsin/
nouna heated argument, particularly in public
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Examples
1. You create scenes.
2. Nother cut scene.
3. Catching Fire deleted scene?
4. Scene four take one.
5. Scene change.
schism
/ˈskɪzəm/
nouna division between a group of people caused by their disagreement over beliefs or views
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Examples
1. We now have a major schism between two tribes, magical thinkers and evidence seekers.
2. These two factions share many spiritual beliefs and religious practices, as their schism was political in nature.
3. These two factions share many spiritual beliefs and religious practices, as their schism was political in nature.
4. With government, with Congress, and we live in an age of cynicism, September schism is good.
5. But there's also a schism in the Johnson clan.
scrap
/ˈskɹæp/
nouna brief quarrel or fight
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Examples
1. My affinity is scrap.
2. All right, scrap my ideas.
3. The pride has been living off scraps.
4. A sneaky approach only yields scraps.
5. Rival males scrap over patches of territory.
set-to
/sˈɛttuː/
nouna minor argument or fight
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Examples
1. Anyway they had this set-to and she kept accusing him and other historians of being "revisionist."
shit stirrer
/ʃˈɪt stˈɜːɹə/
nounsomeone who tries to aggravate an argument or enjoys doing so
Examples
shitstorm
/ˈʃɪtˌstɔɹm/
nouna situation of violent disagreement
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Examples
1. I didn't mean to cause a shitstorm.
2. Who got you out of that shitstorm in the Ukraine?
3. Now obviously it was a nice gesture and this mother tried to do the best she could yet she got a shitstorm of comments that was wholly unjustified.
shot
/ˈʃɑt/
nouna remark that is critical
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Examples
1. Shots fired.
2. Shots fired!
3. Ballots, sling shotted into volcanoes.
4. Shots rang off. -
5. Shots fired.
shouting match
/ʃˈaʊɾɪŋ mˈætʃ/
nouna loud argument
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Examples
1. One shouting match got so heated that Gates relieved Arnold of command although, for an unclear reason, the latter remained in camp.
2. Pittsburgh Assistant Coach Tony Granato and Philly's Head Coach Peter Laviolette got in a shouting match as Pierre McGuire narrated from below.
3. So, this minor incident, what's essentially a shouting match and a fight, in a small town in Alsace has huge implications.
4. They've had a shouting match across the aisles.
5. So, we'd be stuck in a perpetual shouting match.
showdown
/ˈʃoʊˌdaʊn/
nouna fight, test, or argument that will resolve a prolonged disagreement
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Examples
1. The showdown is over.
2. Then the fifth round is the showdown.
3. The showdown was imminent.
4. The showdown was imminent.
5. A showdown is a confrontation or dispute.
shrewish
/ʃɹˈuːɪʃ/
adjective(of a woman) aggressive, unpleasant, and always arguing
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Examples
1. She's the shrewish difficult older sister.
side
/ˈsaɪd/
nounone of the people or groups involved in an argument, contest, etc.
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Examples
1. A young person was standing on the other side of the pond.
2. Now switch sides.
3. Quickly switch sides.
4. Now switch sides.
5. And then last, the bottom left side.
skirmish
/ˈskɝmɪʃ/
nouna short argument, particularly between political rivals
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Examples
1. On several occasions portions of Pershing’s army skirmished with Villa and his tiny band.
2. Where skirmishes broke out occasionally.
3. You have pretty much skirmishes with groups around the country.
4. Our artillery had a skirmish last night, in a swamp in the front.
5. Often a skirmish in one seemingly unimportant area would have long term strategic consequences.
to skirmish
/ˈskɝmɪʃ/
verbto engage in a short argument
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Examples
1. On several occasions portions of Pershing’s army skirmished with Villa and his tiny band.
2. Where skirmishes broke out occasionally.
3. You have pretty much skirmishes with groups around the country.
4. Our artillery had a skirmish last night, in a swamp in the front.
5. Often a skirmish in one seemingly unimportant area would have long term strategic consequences.
slugfest
/ˈsɫəɡˌfɛst/
nounan argument in which people talk to each other in an offensive way
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Examples
1. He won a lot more often than he lost, and while many of these were brief scuffles that didn't result in any major blows landed, others were bare-knuckled slugfests.
someone started it
/sˈʌmwʌn stˈɑːɹɾᵻd ɪt/
phraseused to say who is at fault for causing an argument or fight
Examples
to spar
/ˈspɑɹ/
verbto argue with someone in a pleasant way
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Examples
1. More SPARS mean more men on ships.
2. Not even really sparring.
3. They spar.
4. Sparring for dominance.
5. They were sparring.
to spark up
/spˈɑːɹk ˈʌp/
verbto start a friendship, conversation, quarrel, etc.
Examples
sparring partner
/spˈɑːɹɪŋ pˈɑːɹtnɚ/
nounsomeone with whom one regularly has friendly arguments
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Examples
1. David Gergen was his first sparring partner, sharing the desk with Mark for six years.
2. David Gergen was his first sparring partner, sharing the desk with Mark for six years.
3. It was really fun to be your sparring partner.
4. So he's actually one of my sparring partners on this, because I actually think I disagree on both points.
5. But he's soon off in search of more sparring partners.
spat
/ˈspæt/
nouna short quarrel about a matter that is unimportant
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Examples
1. He's chewing tobacco, juicy, spat on my shirt.
2. The guy in the bed next to mine spat mouthfuls onto the floor all night.
3. Trevor put a sil spat in his mouth?
4. Spats means stories about fights and arguments.
5. Seven, do not wear spats with evening wear.
split
/ˈspɫɪt/
nounseparation between a group of people caused by disagreement
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Examples
1. Most patterns split the circle into four, five or six equal sections.
2. Split the difference.
3. - Split the difference.
4. So it was an amicable split.
5. Scissors to split paper, food, and, of course, Bonsai trees.
to split
/ˈspɫɪt/
verbto cause a group of people to be divided into smaller groups because of having different opinions or views
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Examples
1. Most patterns split the circle into four, five or six equal sections.
2. Split the difference.
3. - Split the difference.
4. So it was an amicable split.
5. Scissors to split paper, food, and, of course, Bonsai trees.
squabble
/ˈskwɑbəɫ/
nouna noisy argument over an unimportant matter
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Examples
1. A squabble with Detective Brett Hankison ensues, and already the team seems on edge.
2. Their problems started with a small squabble between friends.
3. Sometimes hermit crabs will squabble over a particularly desirable abode.
4. Not squabbling too much.
5. And they're constantly squabbling over the prize.
to squabble
/ˈskwɑbəɫ/
verbto noisily argue over an unimportant thing
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Examples
1. A squabble with Detective Brett Hankison ensues, and already the team seems on edge.
2. Their problems started with a small squabble between friends.
3. Sometimes hermit crabs will squabble over a particularly desirable abode.
4. Not squabbling too much.
5. And they're constantly squabbling over the prize.