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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cavils

2 of 2

noun

plural of cavil

as in quibbles

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cavils

Verb

Adrian complains that McElwee, instead of making documentaries, should have followed the lucrative path of a Hollywood director, and even reproaches him for having turned down an offer to make a TV commercial.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
If he had been forced to stick with readily available materials, Rashid complains, the deck behind the house would have been green or brown.

— Dean Kaufman, Curbed, 30 June 2026

Definition of complains

Noun

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
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

Definition of quarrels

Noun

Some notable criticisms include their ability to efficiently convert heat back to electricity and their relatively low energy density compared to traditional batteries.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 25 July 2026
Trump then repeated one of his go-to criticisms of the White House correspondent, while Collins listened from a table near the stage alongside her CNN colleagues.

— Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026

Definition of criticisms

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

Yet successive administrations in Washington have historically been cautious about selling American arms to Belgrade, partly due to objections from regional neighbors.

— Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
The proposal was not on the July 14 meeting agenda, but about 25 residents used the public comment portion of the meeting to voice their concerns and objections, speaking for a large portion of the two-hour meeting.

— Alexandra Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026

Definition of objections

Noun

Carlson, however, dismissed the complaints from rival programs as largely stemming from either jealousy or misunderstandings.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026
Whenever people work together, there will be occasions for frustration, misunderstandings and differences of opinion.

— Candice Gottlieb-Clark, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of misunderstandings

Noun

The visit was touch-and-go for weeks as negotiations about security and accommodations hinted at ongoing squabbles.

— KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 24 July 2026
They are hired hands and stewards of other people’s capital, with no desire to becoming embroiled in internecine squabbles between clashing advocates, parochial activists, and plain opportunists latching on to the moment.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026

Definition of squabbles

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

caviling

cavils

caving

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cavils

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

parochial

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes