as in nitpicking
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as in ambiguity
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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of quibbling
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Kevin Frazier, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
When the murder of 100,000 people, many of them women and children, is mentioned or denounced, or when someone dares to use terms such as genocide, ethnocide, ethnic cleansing or similar, most people choose to take issue with the characterization, quibbling over semantics.
—Uriel Kon
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
More support tickets, more quibbling, more negotiating.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
This may seem like semantic quibbling, but the stakes of imprecise legislation in this domain are quite high.
—Kevin Frazier, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
Joy Randolph and John Early, as the two Afterlife Coordinators, have a quibbling charisma, but the movie should have done more with all its possible versions of paradise, figuring out how to use them comedically instead of just as easy punchlines.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
When the murder of 100,000 people, many of them women and children, is mentioned or denounced, or when someone dares to use terms such as genocide, ethnocide, ethnic cleansing or similar, most people choose to take issue with the characterization, quibbling over semantics.
—Uriel Kon
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibbling
Noun
-
What’s hardest to shake, though, is the ambiguity with which The Dark Wizard approaches the idea of cruelty as a key to success.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
There was, however, no ambiguity at the Russia Pavilion.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The back and forth over redistricting have set off a lot of finger pointing, with Republicans complaining when Democrats commit partisan gerrymandering and Democrats complain when Republicans do it.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
This filling treat will not have anyone complaining about where dinner might be.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The two get to bickering about her terrible track record, with Dennis hilariously failing to realize that this accusation includes him among the questionable men.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
For those of us interested in governing and not bickering, this is a good thing.—
Gail Slater,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With Pluto turning retrograde in your 12th House of Reflection, patterns, habits, or emotional cycles may come into focus in subtle but meaningful ways.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
Now, there’s no mention of Eugenie’s extended family, just a subtle but clear message about their connection to the King and no one else.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The Cubs did not officially make a roster move to add Riley to their active roster because of the murkiness of whether the game would be played.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Mahan and Villaraigosa are the only two Democrats who have publicly called to roll back regulations on the state’s oil and gas market, illustrating the political murkiness at the nexus of California’s climate and affordability challenges.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Your son is fussing in his car seat.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
DeSantis is arguing that Florida’s significant growth over the past few years merits a redraw of the state’s congressional boundaries.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
On homelessness, Steyer wants to expand interim housing options with services, arguing the state has focused too much on building permanent housing for the homeless that is too costly and takes too long to open.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the vote outcome is negative for the near-term regulatory path, the debate is nuanced, said Barclays analyst James Gordon.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
-
Through simple text and brilliant animal illustrations reminiscent of Eric Carle’s finest, Caldecott honoree Christian Robinson presents a lovely and nuanced portrait of dads across the animal kingdom, from lions to seahorses to humans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quibbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbling. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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