as in nitpicking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ambiguity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complaining
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
he spent the entire evening quibbling about the historical inaccuracies in the television series on World War II
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
don't quibble over who gets to sit in front
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibbling
Noun
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Some legal scholars say ambiguity about Musk's precise actions behind the scenes could also complicate his critics' legal challenges.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2025 -
To me this is a difficult one to deal with because of its ambiguity.—
Jim Weygand,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The Buccaneers started complaining to the officials about fouls.—
CJ Moore,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
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That first-round pick became Merriman (although, the Giants aren't complaining).—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The sellers are Lydia (Lisa Kudrow) and Paul (Ray Romano), bickering empty nesters saddled with financial woes and a dark secret.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA TODAY,
13 Dec. 2024
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Right out of the gate, the brothers are in a contentious mood, needling each other with elbows and bickering like little siblings.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
13 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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China reacted angrily Monday to new State Department wording that appeared to indicate a subtle shift in favor of Taipei.—
Christian Shepherd The Washington Post,
arkansasonline.com,
18 Feb. 2025
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Detecting them requires analyzing traffic patterns and employing advanced tools capable of spotting subtle, consistent signals of bot activity across deep and wide data rivers.—
Dan Yerushalmi,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Adnan often finds himself at the center of the theatrics — from arguing with Brian about ego to suggesting Veah is an untrustworthy partner after Sunny accused her of cheating.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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Bowman’s lawyers asked the state Supreme Court to delay his execution to allow a hearing on his last-ditch appeal arguing that his trial lawyer was not prepared and had too much sympathy for the white victim and not his black client.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That fluidity may be why a variety of colors have popped up in unexpected forms this season, from nuanced tailoring and fine Savile Row suits to techy sports gear and cool outerwear.—
Tom Stubbs,
Robb Report,
23 Feb. 2025
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As for whether Russians could buy a top-flight side, that is much more nuanced than a simple yes or no.—
Dan Sheldon,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Quibbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbling. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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