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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Despite lacking any legal education or experience, Routh dismissed his lawyers earlier this year and intends to defend himself at trial.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
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The actress revels in every episode as a septuagenarian lawyer returning to the workforce at a high-profile New York firm with a Southern accent and a baby boomer sensibility.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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Holmes is another shyster whose story has been dissected in several documentaries and in dramatizations like Hulu’s The Dropout, but Gibney brings specific insights and a fresh perspective to this truly unbelievable story.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
31 July 2024
Noun
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In a recent interview, Wright shared his thoughts on the controversy generated by comic book purists who were critical of his casting for a role that had been played by white men previously.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
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Less Buzz, More Intention The coffee world still has its purists.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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At least one former candidate – Kansas City attorney Stacy Lake, who lost to White in the Democratic primary for County Executive in 2022 – has announced plans to run at that point.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
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Another of Soliman’s attorneys interrupted when the immigration officer said the Brotherhood had been a Tier III group since 2012.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Giorgio Armani was a perfectionist in the truest sense.—
Starr Bowenbank,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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This isn't about perfectionists but intentional development across all dimensions of leadership.—
Aurelien Mangano,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pettifogger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogger. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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