cavils 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of cavil

cavils

2 of 2

noun

plural of cavil

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
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
Verb
  • Five-month-old Ladoo fusses in a hammock made from an old scarf.
    Diaa Hadid, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
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
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
  • 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
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
  • IPOs misprice for reasons other than misunderstandings about the businesses.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster