nitpicking 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of nitpickingnext
as in quibbling

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nitpicking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of nitpick
as in complaining
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nitpicking
Verb
Becoming more open-minded instead of nitpicking other people’s posts all the time can be beneficial for you, too. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 July 2026 And the backdrop of worldwide unrest and escalating nuclear threat is subtle to a fault, though that’s just nitpicking. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026 Now, Cleveland desperately needs some guys with track records — Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo and, if nitpicking, José Ramírez — to show signs of life, and the club could flaunt its most formidable offense in years. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 12 May 2026 That meant making some hard choices and nitpicking reasons for why one place shouldn't be included. — Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 11 Apr. 2026 Notorious for nitpicking every small mistake after big victories, the Texas women’s head basketball coach was downright dismissive of any flaws in his team’s Sweet 16 win over Kentucky. — Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026 While her intentions may stem from concern, her nitpicking mirrors this Earth sign’s shadow side. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026 The key is not nitpicking yourself into paralysis… done is better than perfect. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 4 Jan. 2026 Meanwhile, nitpicking from Stewart is always welcome. — Kansas City Star, 6 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicking
  1. quibbling
  2. complaining
  3. subtle
  4. fussing
  5. moaning
  6. niggling
  7. carping
Adjective
  • More support tickets, more quibbling, more negotiating.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Definition of quibbling
Verb
  • In short order, users started complaining about multiple system reboots rather than the one expected with a security update.
    — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Nights in a restaurant are often spent describing flavors, in sensory attention—at least when they aren’t filled with flirting with your coworkers or complaining about guests.
    — Kyle Lucia Wu, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
Definition of complaining
Adjective
  • But Scheft and his team are mastering the subtle differences and plan to offer many of the same loaves available in Boston, though the bakeries will have a few different offerings.
    — Connie Ogle July 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • In one of Nolan’s subtle but important additions to Homer’s tale, all throughout the film, everyone expresses fears about the People from the Sea, this unseen menace terrorizing different towns.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of subtle
Verb
  • Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of fussing
Verb
  • Swinging his hips, moaning into the mic and briefly getting promiscuous with a mic stand was the authenticity that the majority-millennial crowd expected.
    — Sophie Lindberg July 11, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
  • Federal officers stand over a man with a bloody shirt who is handcuffed face down, moaning in pain as his left foot shakes.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of moaning
Verb
  • Pick’s comments weren’t in response to a niggling analyst question but in his prepared remarks, a clear signpost.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 July 2026
  • The new calculation, made at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, could help solve a niggling mystery about this particle’s mass.
    — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of niggling
Verb
  • Trump’s carping notwithstanding, economic growth spiked during Powell’s first year to 3 percent, the highest since the mid-2000s, and wages rose at the fastest rate since before the financial crisis.
    — Roger Lowenstein, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Should the pattern hold true throughout the long march to the Super Bowl, nobody’s going to be carping about the official headcount.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of carping

Browse Nearby Words

nitpickers
nitpicking
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Cite this Entry

“Nitpicking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicking. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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