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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Staff and managers complained about the lack of specifics, as did legal-services providers and advocacy groups.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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Fans and politicians have complained in every language.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 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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The story that’s being quibbled about concerns a teen suicide.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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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
Verb
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In addition to the issues with the tax collector and the city’s credit card, Stewart was also criticized by Fazio for skipping two consecutive debates last week in Farmington and Berlin.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
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Carr publicly criticized the late-night host for remarks made about the killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, which was followed by Kimmel’s show being removed from the air for several days before it was reinstated.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 May 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 13 May. 2026.
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