as in complains
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 nitpicks
So your first indication of problems can be a client who nitpicks every job, forcing you to return to re-trim the 2-inch patch of sod that the client claims wasn’t properly manicured.
—
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
But Brian constantly nitpicks her purchases.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2025
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
But Brian constantly nitpicks her purchases.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicks
Verb
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But today nobody complains about the cost of his castles.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2026
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Never says a word, never complains about it, right?—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Musselwhite punctuated the music with his harmonica trills and moans while his right knee bounced in time with the rhythms.—
Kevin McKeough,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
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As the video continues, one person can be heard yelling her name while the makeup artist moans in pain.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nitpicks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicks. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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