as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
her husband nitpicks about everything: from how she puts the plates away to how she files the bills
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Recent Examples of nitpick
Expert dealmakers know not to rush or nitpick when bargaining, says the billionaire entrepreneur and investor.
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Alex Koller, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024
On Trump’s side, the media’s efforts to nitpick his every word has not affected his lead in the Rasmussen survey.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Oct. 2024
This is nitpicking in the absence of real criticism.
—Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
Yes, but: To nitpick ever so slightly, heat remains an issue at Paris' shadeless outdoor stadiums.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nitpick 
Alex Koller, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024
On Trump’s side, the media’s efforts to nitpick his every word has not affected his lead in the Rasmussen survey.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Oct. 2024
This is nitpicking in the absence of real criticism.
—Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
Yes, but: To nitpick ever so slightly, heat remains an issue at Paris' shadeless outdoor stadiums.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nitpick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpick
Verb
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Girding for battle at USC Pay is at the center of union organizing at USC, where non-tenure track professors complain of semester-to-semester contracts with little job security, minimal or nonexistent raises and moves by the university to cut benefits.Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
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If corporate leaders complain about these directives’ effects on their bottom lines, Trump’s team could force CISA to scale back its use of this authority.Eric Geller, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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While Yankees fans can quibble over whether outlandish performance bonuses, opt-out clauses and use of a private suite should have been included in their bid for Soto, a more important question remains: what will the Yankees do with all that leftover cash?Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
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Everyone loved the quarter zip for weight savings, but quibbled with the oddly small hand pockets and wished the hem drawcords were a little more tucked away.Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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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
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However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 7 Oct. 2020
Verb
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Not all Cybertruck owners will be too fussed about that, though.Carlton Reid, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2024
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The gizmo also includes haptic alerts that can wake you—but not your partner—if your child is fussing.Chris Stokel-Walker, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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There also isn't a dry forehead in the studio, as the tough session has left them all moaning and groaning.David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
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Everything seems fine and dandy until nightfall, when Nana spends her evenings crawling around on her hands and knees and moaning.James Grebey, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near nitpick
Cite this Entry
“Nitpick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpick. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
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