How to Use nitpick in a Sentence

nitpick

verb
  • But Michael nitpicks: Andy didn’t smoke; Andy didn’t say the F-word.
    Zach Schonfeld, Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2017
  • It could have been argued that there was no need to nitpick about the specifics and that the record alone should have been enough.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2023
  • Aside from the slight charging hassle, there’s not much to nitpick.
    Hunter Fenollol, Popular Mechanics, 23 Mar. 2023
  • For a coach who nitpicks as much as Oregon's, there was plenty to find.
    Tyson Alger, OregonLive.com, 3 Mar. 2018
  • Indeed, in the heat of a close game, no criticism is too harsh to levy, no detail too small to nitpick for the good of the line.
    Alex Prewitt, SI.com, 3 Oct. 2019
  • For France in the group stage, that nitpicking offered a reprieve.
    Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 25 June 2019
  • Some of the judges nitpicked, with Derek Hough noting that Williams lost some of his frame and the form of the dance in giving himself over to the character.
    EW.com, 31 Oct. 2023
  • There are plenty of reasons to nitpick England, but the British tabloids have that covered.
    Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 12 June 2018
  • Beasley felt the bashing of Elliott’s effort was part of nitpicking a blowout loss by the Cowboys.
    Drew Davison, star-telegram, 20 Sep. 2017
  • My mom would nitpick everything about me, from my hair to my etiquette.
    Bon Appétit, 14 May 2021
  • That, of course, didn’t keep some from nitpicking certain aspects of Smith’s game — some of which were deserved.
    Terez A. Paylor, kansascity, 31 Jan. 2018
  • Yes, cousin Sam is a stubborn boor, and Aunt Ellie drives you a little crazy with her nitpicking ways.
    Country Living, 8 Mar. 2023
  • Maybe a couple misfires with his (sinkers), but that's nitpicking with that type of outing.
    Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2023
  • One of the only Rangers making a difference is Adolis Garcia (22:52), yet the guys nitpick him.
    Dallas News, 27 Apr. 2021
  • And in its rule-making, the EU should simplify and streamline, rather than moralize and nitpick.
    Peter Vanham, Fortune Europe, 12 Dec. 2023
  • Oh, his strategic moves will be nitpicked and second-guessed, just like any manager.
    Larry Stone, The Seattle Times, 8 June 2017
  • It’s hard to nitpick a homestand that included a franchise-record four walk-off wins.
    Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 3 June 2019
  • Thus, the longer tax reform languishes on Capitol Hill, the longer K Street will have to nitpick this legislation to death.
    Deroy Murdock, National Review, 27 Oct. 2017
  • Both desserts had their mistakes but the judges and guests were definitely nitpicking.
    Luis Miguel Echegaray, SI.com, 8 Mar. 2018
  • General nitpicking about things non-germane to your role are huge red flags.
    Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Jan. 2024
  • Pretty much every time the Dak Hate Hive finds something to nitpick about his game, the Cowboys quarterback smashes it to smithereens.
    Dallas News, 22 Sep. 2020
  • There was plenty to nitpick about the 1-1 tie with the Bearcats and, as all teams aspiring to greatness do, Xavier found plenty to be dissatisfied about.
    Patrick Brennan, Cincinnati.com, 11 Sep. 2017
  • Outside of his weight concerns, any other red flags are just nitpicking.
    Ellis L. Williams, cleveland, 9 Mar. 2020
  • The judges have to nitpick and hone in on things because everyone was really doing well this season.
    Stephen Daw, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2023
  • The grownup in me wants to nitpick about the park’s funky location or its high degree of difficulty, but my inner kid walked out of the joint too giddy to complain.
    Wesley Lapointe, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2022
  • There’s no denying it anymore, no legitimate way to nitpick it or look for a weakness.
    Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2019
  • This, and a couple of imprecise crate-stacking puzzles, might feel like rather small pieces to nitpick in such a polished overall package.
    Steven Strom, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2018
  • Darnold had issues with turnovers, and some observers began to nitpick his throwing delivery.
    Mark Maske, chicagotribune.com, 27 Apr. 2018
  • This might seem like nitpicking, but the quickest way for a young quarterback to tick off his receivers and lose their trust is by putting them in position to be a defensive back’s kill shot.
    Sam Mellinger, kansascity.com, 3 May 2017
  • Looking for fault in Xavier's win would be a strenuous exercise in nitpicking.
    Patrick Brennan, Cincinnati.com, 14 Jan. 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nitpick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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