as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
you know it drives me crazy when you niggle like that
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in quibble
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in qualm
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of niggle
Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 18 Jan. 2026
Later though, the conversation niggled at me.
—Rachel Linden, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Jeremy White, Wired News, 26 Mar. 2026
All this came without Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, absent with a hip problem and a niggle, respectively, which underlines the depth Arsenal did not have in previous title challenges.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Verb
Car buyers who want to limit in-person negotiating, or at least that niggling feeling that a dealership is pulling one over on them, might be soothed by an internet full of information.
—Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 18 Jan. 2026
Later though, the conversation niggled at me.
—Rachel Linden, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
The only niggle here is that, despite this new method of testing being genuinely innovative—one that allows Omega to award these two-hand watches its Master Chronometer label—the concept of accuracy to the second for a dress watch could be seen by some as overkill.
—Jeremy White, Wired News, 26 Mar. 2026
All this came without Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, absent with a hip problem and a niggle, respectively, which underlines the depth Arsenal did not have in previous title challenges.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggle
Verb
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Cassidy also complained that a new primary system enacted last year confused voters by requiring them to ask for a partisan ballot instead of the all-party primary previously in place.—
Thomas Beaumont,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
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So, what Rodriguez and Cohen Higgins are complaining about is what happens four and five years or even ten years down the line.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Noun
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No one had any quibbles with the best safety available going to the team that had an opening at starting safety.—
Kevin Fishbain,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
One small quibble — in Greece, a classic salad does not contain lettuce.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In 2023-24, there could have been no qualms about which player better suited this Arsenal team.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
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Still, despite the qualms of the public and politicians, there’s a torrent of capital for building new data centers.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
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The crime went unsolved for many years, prompting Mason to start making this movie in the early 2000s, and the immediate conclusion to jump to is that the LAPD maybe wasn’t too fussed about it.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sherilyn Fenn's character, Audrey Horne, technically competed, but was only briefly featured in the episode because of the actress' staunch objection.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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Ars reviewed several objections to the settlement, as well as letters from objectors who claimed that the authors’ legal team was trying to unfairly shut them out from voicing concerns.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Noun
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While the numerous tremors may be unsettling, two experts say the earthquake swarm is far from unusual for the region.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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Memories of those days, among the most vivid of my early life, still evoke tremors in the bottom of my stomach.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Now, Cleveland desperately needs some guys with track records — Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo and, if nitpicking, José Ramírez — to show signs of life, and the club could flaunt its most formidable offense in years.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
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Though who had time to nitpick, when there were floor-to-ceiling windows and a wide balcony that faced the sea?—
Ada Calhoun,
Travel + Leisure,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Staying in Zaatari, though, comes with its own challenges.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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But one of Brewers catcher William Contreras’ three successful challenges came on that ninth pitch, a 3-2 sinker that just nicked the bottom of the zone.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggle. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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