小競り合い

こぜりあい

Meanings

1. Noun skirmish; brush (with the enemy); minor battle
2. squabble; (petty) quarrel; argument; bickering

Kanji

• 小 small. Read as こ.
• 競 compete. Read as せる.
• 合 fit. Read as あい.

Example sentences

• 国境問題での小競り合いから重大な国際紛争へと広がりました。
  A small border dispute ballooned into a major international incident.

Common phrases

• 小競り合いになる

Jinuma: Japanese Dictionary · Word lists