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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The move was met with outrage, with fans criticizing the singer for jumping the gun and complaining that the weather had cleared up before becoming too serious.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 June 2026
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Leo is expected to meet survivors while in Spain, but several victims groups have complained that they have been left in the dark about when the meeting is taking place and whether they are invited.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Noun
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His only quibble will be that his second-half cameo didn’t conclude with a goal.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
Ricketts has minor quibbles with some of the assumptions behind these projections.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Activist teens or those with an interest in politics have similar qualms about AI.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
7 June 2026
-
Unlike her, my father had no qualms about breaking rules.—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Need to put a filling dinner on the table, but don't have a lot of time to fuss?—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
22 May 2026
-
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
Noun
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Panahi’s lawyer, Mostafa Nili, announced on Sunday that the Tehran Revolutionary Court has rejected his objections to the rule and has upheld the verdict in full.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
7 June 2026
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The zoo’s petition cites several objections to data centers that have been hotly debated nationwide, including their impact on electricity and water resources.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Her mother's hand had a tremor, the Little Big Town star told USA TODAY.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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Fresh restrictions targeting Japan in early 2026, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, sent another tremor through magnet supply chains that feed everything from F-35s to Ford F-150 Lightnings.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Diehards nitpicked pointless details like Bond's hair color as an excuse to dismiss the whole experiment.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
1 June 2026
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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
Noun
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For Harris, the mental challenge is deeply personal.—
Lauren Pastrana,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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One challenge was how to use the Knicks' depth by tinkering with his rotation.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggle. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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