variants
or cavilling
as in critical
given to making or expressing unfavorable judgments about things
a caviling theater critic who has yet to see a play she likes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or cavilling
as in complaining
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
caviled for hours about a single sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caviling
Adjective
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While uncertainty is an inevitable part of the industry, consulting firms have an enormous opportunity to rise above disruption by aligning their strategies with three critical focus areas: innovation, operational efficiency and a people-first mindset.—
Amy Bjarnason,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025 -
That mindset is gone—owners are sinking money into the franchises, which is critical as the players negotiate their new CBA.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
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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
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That first-round pick became Merriman (although, the Giants aren't complaining).—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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So much of the new sobriety flex is anathema to the captious alcoholics of 12-step groups.—
Virginia Heffernan,
Wired,
19 Apr. 2022
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That a right-wing party traditionally captious about American patriotism did not react heatedly to evidence of Russian interference in US elections is bizarre.—
Darryl Pinckney,
The New York Review of Books,
5 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
My hypercritical brain took this imperfection and ran with it.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
26 June 2025
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This has led to multiple fans getting hypercritical of the iconic wrestler, calling out his age and accusing him of simply being a product of former WCW president Eric Bischoff.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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The design contributions are more notable for their judicious neutrality than any conspicuous style, though Chiara Costanza’s original score adds another atypical flavor.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
20 June 2025
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This makes seasoning a bit difficult to maintain, and requires some attention and judicious use of an infrared thermometer to monitor griddle temps.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
14 June 2025
Verb
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The whining about everyone else didn’t help, either.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2024
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Stop whining and thank your lucky stars for having a job.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Caviling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caviling. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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