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
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The president calls his wife and complains about the sole of his shoe before heading off to a girls’ basketball event with Angel Reese.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025 -
In addition, Alabama complains that the Times gave the school only four hours to respond to the story before it was published; this also coincided with the team getting ready to start the tournament.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hip-Hop has equally thrived on legendary quarrels and strong relationships.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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However, lovers’ quarrels or difficulty dealing with children (hissy fits or meltdowns) might occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What investigators initially left out Despite criticisms that IndyStar reported previously from accusers, the law firm says no findings were left out of the final report.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
24 Oct. 2025
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His opponents have slammed him over his previous criticisms of the New York Police Department, but Mamdani has since emphasized his desire to work with the department.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Shannon moans right about the time Jenn walks out to see what the commotion is all about.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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What To Know The health system said that several competing health systems filed objections to Wellstar’s application related to this project.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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Even so, many artists choose to make such objections public so that a general audience is aware of their stance.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Brian constantly nitpicks her purchases.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Halsey continued by saying a lot of people who are bipolar remain undiagnosed because of these misunderstandings.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
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Shane Hubbard, a UW-Madison research scientist specializing in damage and loss estimation from disasters, said that misunderstandings of what type of insurance offers the most protection result in homeowners being left with hefty bills and little government assistance.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Posobiec generally doesn’t get mired in MAGA squabbles and focuses his ire on the left.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
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This chipping away at self can happen slowly, over time, with each passing day spent resolving sibling squabbles, staying up late to help with homework, cooking family meals, cleaning, carpooling, changing diapers, and wiping stuffy noses.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
10 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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