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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At one point, Hujar complains about a call from the artist Ed Baynard.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025 -
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
Noun
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Margolick devotes much space to the writers’ quarrels, their gripes, their resentment of one another.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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Hip-Hop has equally thrived on legendary quarrels and strong relationships.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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But challenges and criticisms remain, including a recent mass shooting at a homeless encampment, state and federal consent decrees and questions about police’s interaction with federal immigration enforcement.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 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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Holder’s prosecutorial discretion also raised objections.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Nov. 2025
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Penn outbid a number of other suitors for the ESPN business, and the tie-up has faced objections from investors since the very beginning.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But Brian constantly nitpicks her purchases.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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With Mercury retrograde stirring your third and fourth houses, misunderstandings at home or with loved ones could test your patience.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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Experts believe that misunderstandings about who needs screenings and how often may be part of the reason some women skip mammograms.—
Dr. Allyson Heng,
ABC News,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In contexts not concerning the elite private colleges of New England and their decades-old conflicts and syllabi and on-campus squabbles, this mode of prestige media procedure matters absolutely and enormously, at scales difficult to tabulate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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But if there is blowback in Moscow over an apparent diplomatic setback, the Kremlin appears keen to keep any internal squabbles out of public view.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cavils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavils. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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