as in complained
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 nitpicked
Pride & Prejudice was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $120 million worldwide, though some nitpicked at the film for not being entirely accurate to Jane Austen’s original book.
—
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicked
Verb
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Putin's security staffers complained about the quality of the men's room serving the bureau.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2026
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More than two months after the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mom in an apparent kidnapping, residents in Nancy Guthrie's Catalina Foothills neighborhood have complained about vloggers and amateur journalists trespassing, the Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed to USA TODAY.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Dunst doesn’t get fussed about that sort of thing.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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During a debate Tuesday, some lawmakers quibbled over whether the bill would infringe on the free market.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
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Some trustees saw the enforcement approach as reasonable and quibbled with the details, while others wanted Wilmette to go much further in its restrictions.—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
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Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.—
Lauren Caruba,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Patel, in the lawsuit filed in district court in Washington, denied the allegations of his behavior and criticized the magazine for relying on anonymous sources.—
David Bauder,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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Radev also criticized the European Union for relying too heavily on renewable energy.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Senior executives carped about Chapek to Disney board members.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nitpicked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicked. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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