CAVILS Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cavils

Verb

Shannon basically complains so much that Jenn, a sweet baby angel straight from a Hallmark Christmas movie, offers to change rooms with her.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of complains

Noun

On the new series, some House of Stassi castmembers raised their quarrels with Maloney joining their cast.

— McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of quarrels

Noun

And despite countless new criticisms emerging every day, there is belief from people such as Eto’o, that the leader can somehow stay on.

— Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Lesley Vogel, Hayden Panettiere’s mom, is slamming both Gayle King and Megyn Kelly for their recent criticisms in the wake of her daughter’s death.

— Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticisms

Noun

Williams has been vocal about her objections to the guardianships, and her attempts to be removed from it.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
The California Board of Pharmacy in 2025 reversed course on regulations that would have made the supplement more difficult to acquire after objections from some firefighters.

— Martha Bellisle, Los Angeles Times, 23 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

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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“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cavils

verb

noun

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