From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsquabblesquab‧ble /ˈskwɒbəl $ ˈskwɑː-/ verb [intransitive] ARGUEto argue about something unimportant SYN quarrelsquabble over/about They’re always squabbling over money.squabble with He’s squabbling with the referee.► see thesaurus at argue, argument —squabble noun [countable] a petty squabble bitter squabbles between employers and unions→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
squabble• The city's school system, among the worst of a bad lot through the state, is full of squabbling.• The depositions touch on rumors of illegal drug use, extramarital affairs and petty squabbling.• The kids always squabble about who should do the dishes.• Pigeons there on the parapet opposite, squabbling, jostling for position.• Now moderate and conservative Republicans are squabbling over the interpretation.• The crime remained unique, and lawmakers were still squabbling over the ramifications.• A fist fight followed, with much shouting and squabbling, until the ragged man succeeded in driving up to the door.• Don't be tempted to mix similar species of Tanganyikan cichlids - especially Julidochromis, as they will squabble violently.• Oh, for goodness sake, stop squabbling, you two!squabble over/about• A bill before the House signals the end of the real battle and the start of a squabble over detail.• Now moderate and conservative Republicans are squabbling over the interpretation.• As a result of that, the federal assembly spent two weeks squabbling over the issue.• The crime remained unique, and lawmakers were still squabbling over the ramifications.• At a third, two little boys squabble over the telephone, which has been unplugged.• Families sat on the wooden benches squabbling over their picnics.• So I led a peaceable life, isolated from the intermittent scientific squabbles over who had first rights to which animals.• When last we left our young testers, they were squabbling over whose turn it was to dress the potatoes.Origin squabble (1600-1700) Probably from a Scandinavian language 