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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Meanwhile, a parent of an underage Vibe customer also complained to authorities that his 17-year-old son and his son's friend were able to purchase kratom products with a fake ID and, at times, without an ID at all.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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Residents near the Plaskolite site have long complained about odors from the plant, according to an air monitoring study sponsored by the state.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 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
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One small quibble — in Greece, a classic salad does not contain lettuce.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The staffers who fill Lynn’s network appear to have no such qualms.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2026
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The high prices and crowds of summer is such a common qualm that Skyskanner, a travel app, has built an annual report around it.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 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
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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
Noun
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The Boilermakers’ former general counsel testified Tuesday that the law firm representing the union for roughly half a century attended International Executive Council meetings held at luxury destinations — and raised no objections about the costs or attendance.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
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Sentence commutation Over the strenuous objection of fellow Democrats and many Republicans — including Peters’ prosecutor and a majority of Colorado’s election clerks — Polis commuted her sentence, clearing the way for Peters’ parole on June 1 after less than two years in prison.—
Mark Barabak,
Mercury News,
28 May 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 5 Jun. 2026.
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