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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Reiner’s lawyers may plead insanity as part of his defense in connection with a long history of drug use and other mental health disorders.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2026
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The third, a former FBI lawyer, pleaded guilty.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 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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Midcentury purists will rejoice in this true vintage FBJ Mobler piece, made from teak in a classic Danish silhouette.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
18 Feb. 2026
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For the literary purists out there, this might be the most faithful adaptation of them all.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The fears are not unfounded, according to staff attorney Lisa Femia of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Messages seeking comment were left Tuesday for attorneys with the defense and prosecution.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As a teacher and mother—and lifelong perfectionist—I was used to tending to others’ emotional needs, anticipating them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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Rumi, who’s a perfectionist, that leads to a lot of the darkness and her shadow side.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pettifogger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogger. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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