altercation
noun
al·ter·ca·tion
ˌȯl-tər-ˈkā-shən 
: a noisy, heated, angry dispute
He got into several altercations with his boss.
also
: noisy controversy
Examples of altercation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Back in May, former Washington Commanders running back Adrian Peterson went viral for his involvement in a physical altercation at a poker game in Houston, Texas.
—
Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
The altercation could be setting the stage for an official showdown between Jelly and Paul at this year’s SummerSlam, scheduled for Aug. 2–3 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Watch Jelly Roll face off with Logan Paul at WWE SmackDown in the clip below.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 13 July 2025
These men appear to have been more closely involved in the altercation, based on police reports in the case file.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 13 July 2025
That altercation prompted Jolie to file for divorce and led to Pitt being investigated by the FBI and Child Protective Services.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for altercation
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Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
The altercation could be setting the stage for an official showdown between Jelly and Paul at this year’s SummerSlam, scheduled for Aug. 2–3 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Watch Jelly Roll face off with Logan Paul at WWE SmackDown in the clip below.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 13 July 2025
These men appear to have been more closely involved in the altercation, based on police reports in the case file.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 13 July 2025
That altercation prompted Jolie to file for divorce and led to Pitt being investigated by the FBI and Child Protective Services.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for altercation
Cite this Entry
“Altercation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altercation. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
altercation
noun
al·ter·ca·tion
ˌȯl-tər-ˈkā-shən
: a noisy or angry dispute
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