as in critic
a person given to harsh judgments and to finding faults
a tiresome nitpicker who seems to think that I can't do anything right
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Recent Examples of nitpicker
Alas, nitpickers can point to some moves in which Atlanta went backward.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Maybe that’s why, compared with some other kinds of nitpickers, pop critics can seem especially extraneous.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Maybe that’s why, compared with some other kinds of nitpickers, pop critics can seem especially extraneous.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicker
Noun
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The evening faceoff − titled UFC Freedom 250 − has been much anticipated by conservatives and panned by Democratic critics.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
Trump’s rejections cast a long shadow — not just over Illinois but over the entire federal disaster-response system — which critics say the president has bent to serve political ends.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Noun
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In turn, the criticizer is made out to be overreacting.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nitpicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicker. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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