as in picky
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Recent Examples of nitpicky
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
That might be minor and nitpicky, but that is the kind of thing that will take his work to the next level.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Readers will enjoy the narrator’s descriptions of his famously nitpicky job.
—Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2025
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
People might be critical or nitpicky.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
That might be minor and nitpicky, but that is the kind of thing that will take his work to the next level.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 8 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
Adjective
-
Sure, the energy might feel tense or nit-picky, but the first quarter phase always triggers a sense of friction.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
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There will be no fights from the picky eaters at your table when Doritos Chicken Casserole is for dinner.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
Anton Hur on the myth of the finicky English reader.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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Roses are notoriously finicky and prone to diseases like black spot and powdery mildew, so this tougher version that could roll with the punches and didn’t require regular spraying with fungicide seemed like the champion of shrub roses.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Tugging on the heartstrings can be a cheap trick in the hands of the wrong songwriter, but the genre’s best songs are redeemed by a fastidious eye and a poetic ear.—
Jack Hamilton,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
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Some birds, most notably crows, like to give their food a good dunking before eating, so there’s a possibility worms in the birdbath were left by these fastidious birds.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But that album struck me as fussy, unfinished, soft somehow.—
Dan Kois,
Pitchfork,
17 May 2026
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Savory isn’t fussy and grows easily with full sun, regular water, and well-draining soil.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
The finical, fanatical, reciprocal chiselling of mind and matter.—
Christian Wiman,
The New Yorker,
6 Dec. 2021
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However, finical institution Citi is the official presale credit card of the headliner engagements, and Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets a week earlier, from Tuesday, May 18 at 10AM PST to Sunday, May 23 at 10 PM PST through the Citi Entertainment program.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes,
13 May 2021
Adjective
-
My husband loves that this particular style is infused with a touch of precious metal to give off a slight metallic sheen.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
-
Though Export’s radical feminist art grew out of a particular political moment that had pretty much passed by the time Yuskavage began her career, the artists nonetheless share a rabble-rousing sensibility and an obsession with the unnerving visual punch of the female body.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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In the clip, Lu jokingly recalled being asked to pay $60 to check a backpack that just barely exceeded Spirit’s extremely exacting carry-on dimensions.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 May 2026
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The moral complexities of the story – based on true events – are particularly well underlined by the exacting visual style and strong performances.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For true interior aficionados, Design Within Reach’s area rug inventory caters to the most discerning design shoppers.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
8 May 2026
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But oftentimes, most new offerings aren’t really that different or meaningful to all but the most discerning fan.—
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nitpicky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicky. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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