quarrel with + person
Naming the other person
Use with for the person or group involved in the disagreement.
I do not want to quarrel with my colleagues.
Quarrel with, over, among, for, or in?
Quarrel commonly takes with for the person involved and over for the subject of disagreement.
Quick answer
How quarrel is used
Use quarrel with someone and quarrel over something. Among usually describes where a quarrel exists, not a direct complement after the verb. For and in are uncommon after quarrel and usually belong to another part of the sentence.
They quarrelled with their neighbours.
The brothers quarrelled over money.
There was a quarrel among the players.
The brothers quarrelled over money.
There was a quarrel among the players.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
quarrel over + topic
Naming the cause of disagreement
Use over for the subject or issue being argued about.
They quarrelled over inheritance money.
quarrel among + group
Describing conflict inside a group
Among usually appears with a noun phrase to describe conflict within a group.
There was constant quarrelling among the staff.
quarrel in + place/context
Adding location or context
In can introduce the place or situation where the quarrel happened.
They quarrelled in the meeting room yesterday.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
quarrel with
She quarrelled with her brother.
argued against a person
quarrel over
The neighbours quarrelled over parking spaces.
argued about a topic
quarrel among
There was a quarrel among the guests.
conflict existed within a group
quarrel for
They quarrelled for hours.
for usually expresses duration here, not a fixed complement
quarrel in
The children quarrelled in the car.
in adds location rather than a fixed verb pattern
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using over for a person
Use with before the person involved.
✕ She quarrelled over her friend. ✓ She quarrelled with her friend.Using with for a topic
Use over before the subject of disagreement.
✕ They quarrelled with money. ✓ They quarrelled over money.Treating among as the main complement
Among usually describes a group context.
✕ They quarrelled among the budget. ✓ They quarrelled over the budget.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. The sisters quarrelled ___ a small piece of land.
2. I never quarrel ___ my teammates.
3. There was tension and quarrelling ___ the committee members.
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Frequently asked questions
Can quarrel take both with and over?
Yes. You can say they quarrelled with each other over money.
Is quarrel for correct?
Not usually as a fixed pattern. For may express duration, reason, or purpose in the sentence.
Can I use quarrel in a place?
Yes. In can introduce the location, such as quarrelled in the kitchen.
Related preposition guides
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