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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People tend to get involved once a problem becomes visible – when a price looks wrong, a transaction is flagged or a customer complains.—
Murugan Anandarajan,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
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In any work setting, there’s a person who sits around the table and complains about what’s wrong with the company, and then, when the boss walks in, that same person is over there pouring coffee, quiet as a church mouse.—
Willie Colon,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shannon moans right about the time Jenn walks out to see what the commotion is all about.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nitpicks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicks. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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