as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
caviled for hours about a single sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in quibble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cavil
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2021
However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.
—Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 7 Oct. 2020
Verb
Naysayers often cavil that California’s economic growth depends almost entirely on Silicon Valley and the capital gains income of its wealthiest residents, but its primacy in high technology encompasses fields outside Northern California, such as biotech.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2021
However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.
—Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 7 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cavil
Verb
-
Pundits complained last year’s Cannes was a light affair, but that had to do with the bottleneck created by the strikes, for one.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The new plan arrives after many existing Claude subscribers complained of hitting rate limits frequently.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But that’s a minor quibble about a kitchen that otherwise exudes competence.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2025
-
And at that point, why quibble over which exact rules got broken?—
Kelsey Piper,
Vox,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The quarterback position, given its importance in football, is very easy to nitpick for NFL scouts.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Rivals can nitpick details in the paperwork and file challenges that sometimes force elections officials to review hundreds of signatures per candidate.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
As the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks squabble over Cyprus in the background, the men before us quarrel over everything—a woman, a job, a handkerchief.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The basketball star has a reputation for being able to silence media noise in the most crucial moments, but the family element of this quarrel seems to have hit a little too close to home this time.—
Christian Orozco,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
No crying or fussing or squirming.—
Danielle Pergament,
SELF,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Really good, and if you’re not fussed about mod cons or hybrid tech, one can be sat on your driveway for just £18,850 ($24,388).—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
On Sunday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with the families of two girls who had died from measles in West Texas—and raised doubts about the safety of vaccines.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Tavares has no doubt enjoyed the best shooting luck of his NHL career this season en route to the second-most goals by a Leaf.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In fact, regulars’ favorite thing to moan about, year after year, is the ever-mounting cost of Carnival fete tickets and costumes.—
Baz Dreisinger,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Ramirez said the detectives had found belongings near the storm drain entrance and heard what sounded like a woman moaning from inside the storm drain.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the cancellations, but the company has noted in its annual report that international trade disputes, including tariffs, pose a risk to its business.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
-
No arrests were made, and there was no further investigation into the dispute.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cavil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavil. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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