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

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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

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

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

Some scientists in the room said Kennedy’s expressions of appreciation were difficult to hear after his previous criticisms of the CDC, as well as federal health department cuts last year that included hundreds of positions at the agency.

— Lena H. Sun, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026
The movie itself disappoints him for its deviations from the Stephen King novel (including this detail may help preempt criticisms over this adaptation), but he’s also distracted by the presence of a strikingly handsome stranger (Homer Gere).

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticisms

Noun

His larger warning is about what happens when odor objections succeed in blocking reform altogether.

— Peter Su, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
In response, Apple has reportedly been testing memory chips from China’s CXMT, an approach that could raise objections from the White House if Apple decided to move forward.

— Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 10 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

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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 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cavils

verb

noun

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