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
-
The President reportedly watches hours of cable news every day, and frequently complains about coverage in real time.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025 -
There has been a consistent pattern with Florida football where a group of Gators fans complains about the current head coach, sportswriters mock them for having unrealistic expectations, and then those fans turn out to be totally correct.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hip-Hop has equally thrived on legendary quarrels and strong relationships.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
However, lovers’ quarrels or difficulty dealing with children (hissy fits or meltdowns) might occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The move came on the heels of NFL analyst Rex Ryan's previous criticisms of Sanders’ outspoken nature.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The criticisms underscore many artists’ aversions to AI creeping into their industry.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Reviewing pages have been thinned by the forces of history and technology; few Pynchon skeptics anymore bother to take the time to read the novels and register their objections.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
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As the administration takes aim at vessels in the Caribbean, senators and lawmakers of both major political parties have raised stark objections.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But Brian constantly nitpicks her purchases.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Mercury’s retrograde ends on the 7th and will help clear up any misunderstandings or mental fog that have kept you stuck in the wrong dynamics for too long.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Three couples take turns renting a Buenos Aires flat to briefly escape their lives, only to spark jealousy, regrets and misunderstandings.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ever since the Reputation Tour, there have been squabbles between the two stars' fandoms.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Naturally, no shortage of love triangles, drunken decisions, and roommate squabbles ensue — common comedy tropes that get turned on their heads by Waller-Bridge’s trademark offbeat, razor-sharp comedic instincts.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And while Waddle won’t be the one to admit to people’s doubts, his teammate Malilk Washington certainly can speak for him.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
-
For investors, even opposition threats of repeal weaken confidence by raising doubts about long-term policy stability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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