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
Mark Carey, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Either side of that knock and a muscle niggle in December, Fati has been unable to convince Flick of his worth as the German revealed in a prematch press conference to preview Wednesday's 5-1 Copa del Rey last 16 win over Real Betis.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Wayne Chan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2025
In contrast, Pritzker took a more assertive posture during the hearing in which he was also niggled on off-topics, including Illinois’s transgender policies.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Verb
Some of the tweaks to personnel have been born out of necessity, through suspensions (Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwill and Liam Delap) or injury niggles (e.g. Romeo Lavia and Reece James).
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Either side of that knock and a muscle niggle in December, Fati has been unable to convince Flick of his worth as the German revealed in a prematch press conference to preview Wednesday's 5-1 Copa del Rey last 16 win over Real Betis.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
There’s been a series of niggling frustrations in my life the last few weeks.
—Wayne Chan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2025
In contrast, Pritzker took a more assertive posture during the hearing in which he was also niggled on off-topics, including Illinois’s transgender policies.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggle
Verb
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Jiang and his colleagues complain over video chat about their bland meals, but the people who produce, prepare and deliver the food remain invisible.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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Yost and others who opposed the sale of books from the library complained that HUC should not sell part of its collection to ease its financial problems.—
Dan Horn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But that is a minor quibble; this is still an affair to remember.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
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Our main quibbles were with the fans—fan buzz and a lack of more fan filtration are two things to contend with—but experienced PC builders will find workarounds.—
Thomas Soderstrom,
PC Magazine,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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George said George Clooney has no qualms about finding fame later in life — in part thanks to his aunt, the late Rosemary Clooney.—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
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Manager Stephen Vogt had no qualms about letting DeLauter face a lefty.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With five blades sandwiched between two moisturizing bars, this razor speeds up the entire process (no fussing around with shaving cream), nourishing dry skin and making nicks a rare occurrence.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Others might tell you that hosting an awards show is a thankless gig, but Bargatze doesn’t seem fussed.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And by Tuesday afternoon, Texas National Guard troops had arrived at a training center outside of Chicago — despite the vehement objections of local leaders, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
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But these objections miss the point.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Weak shaking has been registered and residents reported experiencing the tremor in several cities, such as Oceanside, San Diego, Vista and Santee according to the USGS DYFI report.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Search efforts were further complicated after an earthquake struck the region of Sumenep, about 124 miles from the collapse site on Tuesday, and authorities feared the impact of those tremors may have packed the debris tighter.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The tape action has been hard to nitpick.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
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Your friend group may nitpick on your romantic or creative life.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This presents a huge challenge to the body to circulate blood in the veins all the way back up to the heart with a pressure barely above zero.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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Dutch Bros is a challenge for police, Chief Chris Niehaus said.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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