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
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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
-
For years, critics of San Diego’s and California’s approaches have complained that millions and billions, respectively, have been spent to reduce homelessness, yet things just kept getting worse.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
According to state records, the Board of Pharmacy had referred the matter to the Board of Medicine after a patient of Hartsuch’s complained that his pharmacist refused to fill the physician’s prescription for ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One small quibble — in Greece, a classic salad does not contain lettuce.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Despite my quibbles with how her character reacts when things really go awry, Kiri’s Evy has a clarity of purpose that holds our attention despite not having that much to do.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That meant making some hard choices and nitpicking reasons for why one place shouldn't be included.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Its members, many still fatigued from the 2023 strike, don’t seem poised — at least for now — to nitpick their deal or criticize their union for not pushing hard enough.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This followed a quarrel between two separate parties within the group.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
This disagreement became our favorite quarrel.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The crime went unsolved for many years, prompting Mason to start making this movie in the early 2000s, and the immediate conclusion to jump to is that the LAPD maybe wasn’t too fussed about it.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After reviewing the case, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office and the Draper City Prosecutor have declined to file charges against Paul, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
But while the civil court found the war crimes allegations were mostly proven on a balance of probabilities, the war crime murder charges would have to be proved in a criminal court to a higher standard of beyond reasonable doubt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On the British side of the Pond, however, no government has dared to do worse things to the BBC than moan about it.—
Max Hastings,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
-
On the British side of the Pond, however, no government has dared to do worse things to the BBC than moan about it.—
Max Hastings,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are also disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities frequently escalate into deadly clashes in the north-central and northwestern part of the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The Federal Trade Commission and StubHub this week settled a dispute over allegations that StubHub concealed the actual, total prices of tickets over a three-day period in May 2025.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cavil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavil. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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