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
Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The last thing new parents need is an injury or niggle, but for those who are keen to start clocking up the miles, a new study offers some surprising reassurance: running with a stroller may actually lower the risk of injury.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
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
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
The last thing new parents need is an injury or niggle, but for those who are keen to start clocking up the miles, a new study offers some surprising reassurance: running with a stroller may actually lower the risk of injury.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggle
Verb
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For years, critics of San Diego’s and California’s approaches have complained that millions and billions, respectively, have been spent to reduce homelessness, yet things just kept getting worse.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
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According to state records, the Board of Pharmacy had referred the matter to the Board of Medicine after a patient of Hartsuch’s complained that his pharmacist refused to fill the physician’s prescription for ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One small quibble — in Greece, a classic salad does not contain lettuce.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
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Despite my quibbles with how her character reacts when things really go awry, Kiri’s Evy has a clarity of purpose that holds our attention despite not having that much to do.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Our one qualm is that during testing, the cases sustained dents, and the zipper malfunctioned.—
Nathan Allen,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2026
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Who cares that Swiftest of Lizards seems to have zero qualms about leaving his mother to go live with the man standing there with his wife and baby?—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 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
-
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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The court's objection was first reported by the New York Times.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
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Tommy Medina waived about 2 1/2 years of custody credits as part of a plea deal offer from Orange County Superior Court Judge Larry Yellin, which drew an objection from prosecutors.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By the end of 2025, even states that had never depended on buying goods from abroad were feeling tariff tremors in their own way.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
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The progressive brain condition causes tremors, slow movement, and problems with balance.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That meant making some hard choices and nitpicking reasons for why one place shouldn't be included.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
11 Apr. 2026
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Its members, many still fatigued from the 2023 strike, don’t seem poised — at least for now — to nitpick their deal or criticize their union for not pushing hard enough.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Getting safely across Stockton Boulevard can be a challenge.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Conventional testing may seem like an additional challenge.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggle. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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