as in complains
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 cavils
Verb
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But today nobody complains about the cost of his castles.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2026 -
Never says a word, never complains about it, right?—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Rounding out the top five names were seven write-in votes for the Sacramento Capitals or Capitols — which could be nicknamed the Caps to avoid quarrels over the spelling — and six votes for the Sacramento Stingers or Sting, referencing the collegiate Sacramento State Hornets.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
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In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Musselwhite punctuated the music with his harmonica trills and moans while his right knee bounced in time with the rhythms.—
Kevin McKeough,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
As the video continues, one person can be heard yelling her name while the makeup artist moans in pain.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
Noun
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Asked about those criticisms Wednesday, Raman defended her record and argued the city needs a different approach.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
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Pressure has only continued to mount as guests flood into Mexico City, and the government has faced a crescendo of criticisms by protesters and residents who say authorities have prioritized the competition over pressing social needs in the Latin American nation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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So your first indication of problems can be a client who nitpicks every job, forcing you to return to re-trim the 2-inch patch of sod that the client claims wasn’t properly manicured.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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But Brian constantly nitpicks her purchases.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Huang made his case as AI has emerged as a political flashpoint, with objections to plans to build more data centers and fears that the speed with which it’s being adopted could spur the layoffs of workers who might not have a safety net.—
Josh Boak,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
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Add to that Wednesday’s reversal, when Republican legislative leaders rejected Kemp’s push to overhaul Georgia’s political boundaries during a special session despite the governor’s objections.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Noun
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At that point, the misunderstandings of me being weird or nerdy or stuck up or whatever kind of just went away.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
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The misunderstandings are about people’s tones, and not necessarily about the things that people are pointing toward.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Could the modern classic sitcom about a group of disgruntled office workers' love affairs, friendships, falling outs, and petty squabbles be made today?—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
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Rice’s attorney argued that prosecutors were unable to prove Rice’s whereabouts at the time of the murder and that their roommate squabbles were not significant enough for Rice to kill her.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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