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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cavils
Verb
-
Never says a word, never complains about it, right?—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
17 May 2026 -
Anushka complains about the agreement that asks users to accept 97 pages of terms and conditions in 7-point font, but these guys don’t even see themselves as car manufacturers.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Asked about those criticisms Wednesday, Raman defended her record and argued the city needs a different approach.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
Referees did not blow the whistle for a foul on the play, despite forceful objections from the Knicks bench.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
So why have these objections remained so potent?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Minor misunderstandings are also likely, particularly if someone feels unheard, dismissed or overly criticized.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
-
Submission quality varies wildly, and committees end up correcting basic misunderstandings instead of debating strategy.—
David Talby,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
But kids are fickle creatures, and eventually got bored of those Eternian squabbles.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
