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
-
Jurisdictional role ambiguity adds another layer of complexity.—
Khurram Akhtar,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025 -
Critics say ambiguities in the law are part of the problem George Wyeth, a visiting scholar at the Environmental Law Institute, says the law is still concerning.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
The irony of the quintessential real estate expert buying a home in the flight path of an international airport, then complaining about the noise, is not lost on the rest of Palm Beach County.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
-
The Buccaneers started complaining to the officials about fouls.—
CJ Moore,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
An alien spaceship has spiked an immensely popular bubblegum with an interdimensional ectoplasm that turns everyone who chews it into zombies, and the only ones who can save humanity are bickering foster brothers Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (both voiced by Eric Bauza).—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Pratt, whose character plays like a cross between Han Solo and Jack Burton, is gifted with a moment or two, bickering with Herman like a married couple and yeeting cars at Sentre headquarters.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Arthritis in your fingers often starts with subtle changes.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
25 May 2025
-
The navy, white, and subtle red palette nods to the seaside and seamlessly blends into Printemps' signature French elegance.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
However, some Democrats, including Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton, suggested the backlash was overblown, arguing that public opinion is shifting in favor of restrictions on transgender athletes.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The president justified his decision by arguing that all three of the nations were not doing enough to curb the influx of drugs, specifically fentanyl, coming into the United States.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, the sketch was even more nuanced than non-Spanish-speaking SNL viewers could know, in part because of the live show’s limitations.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
18 May 2025
-
So the claim that teachers resist different approaches to school choice does not reflect this more nuanced reality.—
Bruno V. Manno,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Quibbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbling. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share