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
  • That being said, those in the chip sector looking for partners are getting increasingly picky, with finance not always among their top preferences.
    — Justina Lee,Lisa Kim, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Considering the world of options there are out there, some picky people take years to find the perfect sofa.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of picky
Adjective
  • Moisture trapped in the ground allows finicky crops such as onions and peanuts to grow.
    — Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Their odds of winning the World Series – a famously finicky task prone to small sample size flukes – were over 25%, one-in-four for one of baseball’s 30 teams.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of finicky
Adjective
  • 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
  • Universal's Potter lands at its resorts in Orlando, Hollywood, Beijing and Osaka are famous for their fastidious attention to detail.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of fastidious
Adjective
  • Baby is fussy, so back to Mom to eat as suitor Robert Pattinson tries his shot at Anne Hathaway.
    — Zachary Pincus-Roth, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • It’s designed to flatter various body types without feeling tight or fussy.
    — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 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
  • Podded propulsion offers particular advantages in this environment.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Tall goalkeepers have traditionally had to deal with a particular technical problem.
    — Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of particular
Adjective
  • Every place on this list has been vetted and endorsed, again and again, by the world’s most exacting travelers.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
  • Loathe have always been committed to self-production (their 2017 debut is their only album that credits an outside co-producer), but A Stranger to You begs for more exacting supervision.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 16 July 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 Sep. 2026.

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