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caviled

verb

variants or cavilled
past tense of cavil
as in complained
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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for caviled
  1. complained
  2. fussed
  3. moaned
Verb
  • Blake Snell left Wednesday’s game early with groin issues and Tyler Glasnow recently complained of general discomfort.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The recall was issued September 15 after consumers complained of stones and other hard objects within the dessert’s cashew clusters.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of complained
Verb
  • If the offensive line’s healthy again, RB Saquon Barkley will ramble again, broadening QB Jalen Hurts’ margin for error and being fussed at by the coaching staff.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 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
Definition of fussed
Verb
  • Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 May 2026
  • Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of moaned
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cavil
caviled
caviler
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Cite this Entry

“Caviled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caviled. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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