as in subtle
made or done with extreme care and accuracy
usage experts have attempted to make some hairsplitting distinctions between the two words, but most writers blithely ignore them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hairsplitting
Adjective
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Vasudevan explains that cats use their paws not just for hunting or defending, but also for play and subtle communication.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025 -
With its strapless neckline, subtle side slit, and body-hugging silhouette, it was made for sipping cocktails under palm trees in Miami or dancing the night away in Barcelona.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Wirtz is focused more on the micro, with delicate touches and deft flicks, compared to Szoboszlai’s macro traits of energy and power.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
-
The walls of the rectum (the inside of your butt) are delicate.—
Alexander Cheves,
Them.,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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There have been constant rumors the attacker has been close to signing a new contract at San Siro, but a deal has not yet been agreed and there may well be Champions League clubs interested in him this summer after his fine personal form during the team’s otherwise tumultuous campaign.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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The team first crushes the rocks into fine grains and separates out the zircons using dense liquids and magnetic fields.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Whoever guesses the exact day and hour each bird takes their first flight wins an honorary certificate.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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The exact path of the storm was not clear, Yack said.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Hairsplitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hairsplitting. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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