1
as in lawyer
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2
as in quibbler
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Recent Examples of pettifogger
For nearly three years now, I’ve been fascinated by the performance art of this blustering pettifogger.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettifogger
Noun
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The judge noted that the Supreme Court released guidelines last year for how lawyers use AI.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Each Gospel Justice Center – which is open one day a month for a few hours – revolves around volunteer lawyers and church members offering brief legal advice, guidance and prayer in a community setting.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The bubble-ists think that the Coreweave people are hopeless dreamers at best and shysters at worst.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
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To demonstrate that point in a video, a researcher told a robot arm to put a bunch of plastic grapes into a clear Tupperware container, then proceeded to shift three containers around on the table in an approximation of a shyster’s shell game.—
Eliza Strickland,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For purists, that will be the biggest downside to the RS5 going PHEV, and a challenge for Audi engineers, who will need to build a car with the driving dynamics of a sports car in a package that will likely weigh over two tons.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
5 Feb. 2026
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The DJs and producers are not purists overall.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His defense attorney had asked for 20 years plus the mandatory seven for the gun conviction.—
DAVID FISCHER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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At a January Republican Assembly meeting in Fayetteville, attorney and Senate candidate Don Brown accused Whatley of failing western North Carolina residents.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Smith-Njigba is a perfectionist, though.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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While Davis was known as being a perfectionist to a fault, which sometimes led to clashes with cohorts on her many movie sets, this wasn't the case between the two actresses while filming 1961's Pocketful of Miracles.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pettifogger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogger. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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