as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
her husband nitpicks about everything: from how she puts the plates away to how she files the bills
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Recent Examples of nitpick
Social workers seem to nitpick the kind of child safety locks on cabinets, how old kids must be to sleep in a top bunk and the rating of a fire extinguisher kept in the kitchen.
—
Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
Each new video only gave viewers more to nitpick over.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
The reason that Chernow’s failure to take cognizance of the steamboat Arago seems problematic enough to nitpick has nothing to do with the business of the pen name, which Chernow does discuss.
—John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
As grocers — especially ethnic stores — work to navigate a global trade war, tariffs, and snarled supply chains, they’re also forced to contend with measures nitpicking nearly every aspect of their businesses.
—Ron Fong, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitpick
Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
Each new video only gave viewers more to nitpick over.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
The reason that Chernow’s failure to take cognizance of the steamboat Arago seems problematic enough to nitpick has nothing to do with the business of the pen name, which Chernow does discuss.
—John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
As grocers — especially ethnic stores — work to navigate a global trade war, tariffs, and snarled supply chains, they’re also forced to contend with measures nitpicking nearly every aspect of their businesses.
—Ron Fong, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitpick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpick
Verb
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Some residents and candidates have complained that Area Towing often overcharged customers, unaware of the costs when getting their vehicles towed.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Republicans complain about the district’s heavy Democratic lean.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If the Cubs can get back to the Series this October, few will quibble about however high of a price Hoyer pays to get there.—
Phil Rogers,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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These seemingly arbitrary small items are essentially sweeteners to win over lawmakers who might quibble with the broader thrust of the legislation.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Naysayers often cavil that California’s economic growth depends almost entirely on Silicon Valley and the capital gains income of its wealthiest residents, but its primacy in high technology encompasses fields outside Northern California, such as biotech.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2021
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However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.—
Kelly Corbett,
House Beautiful,
7 Oct. 2020
Verb
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Inside, Seán glanced briefly away from the television as the women fussed at Orla’s return.—
Anne Enright,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
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But other times, windows would be rearranged seemingly at random, with unused space and weird gaps that require you to fuss around and move all your windows around again.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The sound of a heavy machine motor moaned from a tractor evening out the soil covering an oval enclosure, about the size of a football field.—
Jon-Michael Banks,
Kansas City Star,
31 July 2025
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Liam was basically telling the people who were moaning about a younger band to get stuffed.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nitpick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpick. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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