as in to whimper
to complain or cry in an annoying way
The child sniveled until he got his way.
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Recent Examples of snivel
But when Aurelius informs his son, Commodus (a sniveling Joaquin Phoenix), the latter murders his father before the decision is made public.
—
Lisa De Los Reyes, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
But Sarah had only driven about a block before Jamie called to snivel out an apology.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 24 Nov. 2024
Tom Felton, who played the sniveling Slytherin in every Potter film, wrote a tribute to the actress on Instagram.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2024
Still, the war between the virtuous Autobots and the sniveling Decepticons has enough sheer weirdness to it to serve as inspiration for compelling fiction, even if Michael Bay has never managed to crack that code.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
But any hopes of a warm and fuzzy family reunion were dashed in the Season 3 finale, when Soldier Boy called Homelander weak and sniveling.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 18 July 2024
Gollum feels some guilt, finally Photo: New Line Cinema
Serkis does a fantastic job in The Two Towers bouncing back and forth between the aggressive and conniving Gollum and the needy and sniveling Smeagol as the creature grows close to Frodo but is also increasingly drawn to the One Ring.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2024
And is too much to have the sniveling Scots swim coach (Christopher Eccleston) actually heave a radio through the nearest window pane at a key moment?
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2024
Like what, low-crawling out of town like a bunch of sniveling cowards?
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024
Lisa De Los Reyes, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
But Sarah had only driven about a block before Jamie called to snivel out an apology.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 24 Nov. 2024
Tom Felton, who played the sniveling Slytherin in every Potter film, wrote a tribute to the actress on Instagram.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2024
Still, the war between the virtuous Autobots and the sniveling Decepticons has enough sheer weirdness to it to serve as inspiration for compelling fiction, even if Michael Bay has never managed to crack that code.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
But any hopes of a warm and fuzzy family reunion were dashed in the Season 3 finale, when Soldier Boy called Homelander weak and sniveling.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 18 July 2024
Gollum feels some guilt, finally Photo: New Line Cinema
Serkis does a fantastic job in The Two Towers bouncing back and forth between the aggressive and conniving Gollum and the needy and sniveling Smeagol as the creature grows close to Frodo but is also increasingly drawn to the One Ring.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2024
And is too much to have the sniveling Scots swim coach (Christopher Eccleston) actually heave a radio through the nearest window pane at a key moment?
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2024
Like what, low-crawling out of town like a bunch of sniveling cowards?
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snivel
Verb
-
Pancho, a heavy-bodied Airedale, whimpered and rubbed against my leg with the expectation of excitement to come.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
13 Feb. 2025
-
The little girl whimpers as my prosthetic eye blinks, adjusts and trains on her like the scope of a rifle.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Some in the crowd sobbed as organizers played excerpts from Nasrallah's speeches.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Danielle literally falls to the ground, sobbing and hyperventilating.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Constant observation of these events on your social media can create a massive shock to the nervous system and a sense of disintegration and fragmentation, coupled with intense emotions such as crying, shallow breathing or lashing out.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
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One family has a sick child who could be heard crying in the background during a call between Herischi and Panamanian officials.—
Yong Xiong, Michael Rios, CNN and Ivonne Valdés,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Rather than obediently following instructions, the Labrador made his displeasure known in an unmistakably human-like manner—growling, whining and huffing in defiance while facing his owners.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
-
My advice to Democratic voters is to stop your whining about everything and save your complaints for the midterm election.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Men writhe and moan in the shadows just out of sight as a young gay man walks through the dark room at Adonis, Copenhagen’s only gay sauna.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Shows that not all football teams need to be Champions League contenders and not all fans need to be moaning about the failings of their club.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Indianapolis Colts: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia GM Chris Ballard likely groaned as another top tight end was picked just before the Colts were on the clock for the second straight year.—
Zac Jackson,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
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Sure, there are cute ducks waddling around the encampment, but the groaning wind, dense forest, and unyielding mountains summon the series’ long-standing specter of pagan mysticism, as if the area were ruled by old gods who see the Wiskayok high-schoolers not as survivors but trespassers.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Snivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snivel. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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