Thesaurus results for PETTIFOGGER

pettifogger

noun

Definition of pettifogger

as in lawyer

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as in quibbler

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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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettifogger

Noun

His lawyer did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
At the arraignment, Burke's lawyers withdrew in a shocking move, leaving him with a public defender.

— Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of lawyer

Noun

The final chip set is for purists, with the robo-dog, Rush, acting as a springboard to give Mega Man extra height on his jump.

— Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Like countless country artists before and after her, her decision to alter her sound to reach a broader pop audience during these years was met with a tremendous amount of sonic-policing controversy from the genre’s purists.

— Stephen L. Betts, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of purist

Noun

The bubble-ists think that the Coreweave people are hopeless dreamers at best and shysters at worst.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
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

Definition of shyster

Noun

That comes from him being a perfectionist on the sideline with every pass, every move.

— Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Neither of them knew how much work lay ahead, and Don was a perfectionist, scribing each new board to fit as snugly as a puzzle piece against the irregular stone walls.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of perfectionist

Noun

Hackett's suit, filed by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, seeks compensatory and punitive damages and names Arellano in his individual capacity as the sole defendant.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
Asking the Virgin for forgiveness The visa applications submitted by Lozano will now probably come under review by USCIS, said Ortiz, the attorney with the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic.

— Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of attorney

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petticoat

pettifogger

pettifoggers

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“Pettifogger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogger. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of pettifogger

noun

Example Sentences

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