cavils 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cavil
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

cavils

2 of 2

noun

plural of cavil
as in quibbles

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cavils
  1. complains
  2. quarrels
  3. fusses
  4. criticisms
  5. moans
  6. objections
  7. nitpicks
  8. misunderstandings
Verb
  • The private sector complains that there are jobs but that Indians aren’t skilled enough to be hired.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Prescribing Tylenol to a patient who continually complains of back pain will not necessarily solve what ails them.
    — Chris Adams, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of complains
Noun
  • Candi is the family mediator Like any father-daughter coaching dynamic, Corey and Coco have had their fair share of quarrels on the tennis court.
    — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of quarrels
Verb
  • Five-month-old Ladoo fusses in a hammock made from an old scarf.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of fusses
Noun
  • Green's win, a popular and feel-good moment for fans, is seen as a strategic move by WWE, potentially addressing criticisms aimed at Triple H regarding the promotion of new talent.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Trump’s Truth Social is launching a premium ‘Truth API’ that sells Wall Street traders split-second early access to his market-moving posts, stoking new criticisms of insider trading and self-enrichment in the Oval Office.
    — Bernard Condon, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticisms
Verb
  • 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
Definition of moans
Noun
  • The letter by Raskin and colleagues raises numerous objections to the concept of morphing three affordable courses used by golfers of all levels into a more expensive course designed for professionals.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • By Elisabeth Zerofsky How the late-night host won comedy’s biggest prize — despite the White House’s objections.
    — Daniel Bergner Elisabeth Zerofsky Benoit Denizet-Lewis David Marchese Charles Homans Kwame Anthony Appiah Sophie Haigney Chris Almeida Ismail Muhammad John Hodgman, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of objections
Verb
  • 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
  • But Brian constantly nitpicks her purchases.
    — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2025
Definition of nitpicks
Noun
  • As in much of Europe, tourism is a sensitive subject, so knowing the unwritten rules (and even a bit of the local language, Euskera) will help avoid misunderstandings and unlock the city’s joyful, trademark love of the table.
    — Marti Buckley, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But too many mixed signals can throw off an opponent’s risk calculus, giving rise to misunderstandings that can produce or worsen a crisis.
    — Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026
Definition of misunderstandings
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.

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caviling
cavils
caving
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Cite this Entry

“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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