quarrel
noun
an angry dispute or altercation; a disagreement marked by a temporary or permanent break in friendly relations.
had been quarreling
-
past perfect progressiveof quarrel.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These were the very men who so lately had been quarreling with each other.
From Time Magazine Archive
The couple had been quarreling bitterly over money; only days before, Davis had been ordered to increase support payments to Priscilla to $5,000 a month.
From Time Magazine Archive
If she had been quarreling with Mr. Ingham, he may have bolted the door after her.
From "Persons Unknown" by Virginia Tracy
They had been quarreling bitterly among themselves all morning, and strangely enough this quarrel was all about which of them should marry Ghip-Ghisizzle.
From Sky Island: being the further exciting adventures of Trot and Cap'n Bill after their visit to the sea fairies by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum
While the divisions of Richard's army had been quarreling with each other on the sea-coast, he had been strengthening the walls and other defenses of the city, until they were now more formidable than ever.
From Richard I Makers of History by Jacob Abbott
