nitpicky

adjective

as in picky

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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 nitpicky There are those who hate offside review and thought this was another example of a nitpicky replay taking a perfectly valid goal off the board. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 16 June 2026 Rice cleaners are pedantic and nitpicky. — Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026 Brown said Powell could be nitpicky. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026 People might be critical or nitpicky. — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025 Readers will enjoy the narrator’s descriptions of his famously nitpicky job. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicky
  1. picky
  2. finicky
  3. fastidious
  4. fussy
  5. finical
  6. particular
  7. exacting
  8. discerning
Adjective
  • The report read this as a sign of a pickier market as the business consolidates.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The holidays can feel overwhelming when your child is a picky eater.
    — Taylor Grothe, Parents, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of picky
Adjective
  • However, the large touchpad was too often a little finicky about what constituted a right- or left-click.
    — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
  • That run ends up lasting just one session thanks to a finicky clutch slave cylinder, which belched its fluid out on-track and left Joey unable to shift.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of finicky
Adjective
  • Oeffling is not new to music, but his artistic career is one that’s developed with more of a shrug than fastidious dedication.
    — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • His pencil mustache, his fastidious gestures, and his twinkling eyes are at least as famous as his drinks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fastidious
Adjective
  • The resulting sensorium never sounds overly fussy or strained for virtuosity.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • However, as minimalist, light, and midcentury styles gained popularity, Morris says people saw heavy wooden pieces as fussy and old.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of fussy
Adjective
  • The finical, fanatical, reciprocal chiselling of mind and matter.
    — Christian Wiman, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2021
Definition of finical
Adjective
  • The Mk 41 system presents a particular integration challenge.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Ultimately, the employee would be directed to wire a large sum of money to a particular bank account controlled by members of the conspiracy, costing the companies more than $129 million, according to prosecutors.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of particular
Adjective
  • Records, especially for aircraft, are very exacting because of the criteria laid down by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
    — David Szondy October 20, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Known for his exacting, couture-like approach, and an experimental zeal rare among designers at Europe’s largest luxury brands, the Frenchman got his start in fashion by filing, photocopying and cataloguing fabrics at Jean Paul Gaultier.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of exacting
Adjective
  • As shoppers become more discerning, retailers are becoming more selective about what earns shelf space.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 21 July 2026
  • For the most discerning mixologist, only pure, flavorless, slow-melting ice will do.
    — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Definition of discerning

Browse Nearby Words

nitpicks
nitpicky
nits
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Cite this Entry

“Nitpicky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicky. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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