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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Rodriguez’s conduct didn’t disrupt the Jan. 28 meeting, her lawyer Mark Streiff said in his closing remarks.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2025
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His lawyer John Cantrell said he was found dead at home on June 5.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 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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That, of course, will infuriate Big Six purists who hate all things about the Sun Belt’s decade-long dominance of the NHL.—
Adam H. Beasley,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2025
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While some purists worry that complexity will undermine Bitcoin’s resilience, others argue that expanding its utility is essential to staying relevant.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Defense attorney Stuart Cearley told jurors the video showed Grindstaff was in fear for his life when Stacy decided to back up toward him using his vehicle as a weapon, even striking Grindstaff’s patrol vehicle.—
Ron Wood,
Arkansas Online,
24 June 2025
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For more than six weeks, Sean Combs has sat amongst his nine attorneys in a lower Manhattan federal courtroom as more than two dozen witnesses who include ex-girlfriends, former employees and law enforcement agents have testified against him.—
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento,
NPR,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pettifogger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogger. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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