as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
there was a bit of a contretemps over the seating arrangements for the upcoming wedding
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Recent Examples of contretemps
To outsiders, the summer’s weeks-long contretemps over the prime minister’s after-hours activities might seem like a tempest in a Nordic teapot.
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Michael Hunt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022
What’s followed have been a succession of contretemps.
—David A. Andelman, CNN, 26 Aug. 2022
Marin's lack of good judgment and naivete has led us to this ridiculous contretemps, which will eventually blow over.
—Marja Heinonen, CNN, 23 Aug. 2022
The normally dignified sport had a brief contretemps at the time of the opening game this year.
—New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021
See all Example Sentences for contretemps 
Michael Hunt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022
What’s followed have been a succession of contretemps.
—David A. Andelman, CNN, 26 Aug. 2022
Marin's lack of good judgment and naivete has led us to this ridiculous contretemps, which will eventually blow over.
—Marja Heinonen, CNN, 23 Aug. 2022
The normally dignified sport had a brief contretemps at the time of the opening game this year.
—New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021
See all Example Sentences for contretemps
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contretemps
Noun
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That’s the main quarrel of opponents of such conservation projects.Christine Ro, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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Experts at the conference floated the possibility that the aquatic quarrel could make its way to the Supreme Court, though that’s viewed as a crisis that should be averted.Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Jamie Foxx is thanking fans for their support after an altercation at his birthday dinner this weekend required him to get stitches.Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
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Things got worse for Curtis, who was arrested and charged with assault because of his altercation with assistant DA Daniels.Barry Levitt, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Research has distinguished between three simple strategies to deal with neighbor disputes: avoidance of the party whose behavior is experienced as unneighborly; confronting the neighbor face-to-face; and relying on a third party to sort out the issue, e.g. the landlord or even police.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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Nearly a decade later, a dark storm cloud has descended upon his increasingly unpopular administration, with the resignation of a top Cabinet minister over a dispute about how to manage US president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.Lex Harvey, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The records put an end to a monthslong controversy over whether Winfrey was paid for endorsing the former Democratic presidential nominee.Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
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Patel's nomination as FBI director must first clear Senate confirmation, a process that legal experts predict will be fraught with controversy.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Any disagreements or requests for information should be noted in that report.Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 8 Dec. 2024
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Relationships, at their best, are not just defined by extraordinary moments or their endings—they’re about the moments in between, the routine, the joy, the disagreements and the growth.Mark Travers, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Better to follow the West German example and achieve full NATO membership for independent Ukraine than to watch essential U.S. support dwindle as Congress bickers and Trump’s reelection odds increase.M. E. Sarotte, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2024
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Meanwhile, Esmeralda bickers with her daughter Jacqueline (Tenley Stitzer), who’s terrified of nuclear war and obsessed with rocker David Lee Roth.Celia Wren, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
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The legislation is part of a broader push to inject religious teachings into schools and comes as a growing number of Republicans nationally have openly embraced arguments that American politics and culture are rooted in the Christian faith.KACEN BAYLESS THE KANSAS CITY STAR (TNS), arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024
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The court will hear arguments in the case after the first of the year, with a decision expected by late June.Nina Totenberg, NPR, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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While the fight was supposed to be an exhibition, Anpo didn’t appear to get the memo.Brian Mazique, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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Dylan and Baez didn’t get into a fight onstage over the setlist.Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Contretemps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contretemps. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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