as in to complain
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in quibble
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cavil
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2021
However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.
—Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 7 Oct. 2020
Verb
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
However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.
—Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 7 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cavil
Verb
-
Meanwhile, a parent of an underage Vibe customer also complained to authorities that his 17-year-old son and his son's friend were able to purchase kratom products with a fake ID and, at times, without an ID at all.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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Residents near the Plaskolite site have long complained about odors from the plant, according to an air monitoring study sponsored by the state.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
No one had any quibbles with the best safety available going to the team that had an opening at starting safety.—
Kevin Fishbain,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
One small quibble — in Greece, a classic salad does not contain lettuce.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Diehards nitpicked pointless details like Bond's hair color as an excuse to dismiss the whole experiment.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
1 June 2026
-
Now, Cleveland desperately needs some guys with track records — Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo and, if nitpicking, José Ramírez — to show signs of life, and the club could flaunt its most formidable offense in years.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
In May 2024, Jose Siri tried swinging at Uribe during a dugout-clearing quarrel.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
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What was a calm discussion turned into a quarrel, and the new director of the facility came out to see what was going on.—
Amer Matar,
The Dial,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Need to put a filling dinner on the table, but don't have a lot of time to fuss?—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
22 May 2026
-
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
Noun
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But there is no doubt that the NAACP is right about the contradiction of people cheering the exploits of Black athletes at college programs while also cheering the diminishing of Black political representation.—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
-
While Toregem wants to bring its treatment to market by 2030, experts have some lingering doubts whether the approach can actually work in humans.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
4 June 2026
Verb
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And yes, that sound will dissipate and soon will be too faint for my human ears as it is absorbed into space, but Renee Gladman writes that spaces moan.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
The process left Carruthers bleeding and moaning on May 21, according to the witness, Maria DeLiberato, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
In 2023, Archer settled intellectual property disputes with Boeing and its air taxi unit Wisk, and signed an agreement to collaborate on autonomous tech, and invested in the air taxi maker.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
-
Carney acknowledged that while the US and Canada have had disputes, the countries have always worked through them, and that a more independent Canada makes the country a better ally.—
Reuters May 28,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cavil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavil. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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