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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As lawyers on either side attempted to find a class of people unbiased enough to deliver a fair verdict for one of the most famous men in music, potential candidates were struck down for a host of different reasons.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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If lawyers fail to combat this existential threat, who will?—
Mark A. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 May 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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With apologies to game purists, both scenes pack more of an emotional wallop in the show’s version.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
5 May 2025
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And some of the most aggressive purists didn’t appreciate Moss’s proclivity for posting beauty tutorials on her personal social media channels.—
Mike Isaac,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Donald Sterling, former US attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said hiring Burroughs as an assistant US attorney years ago was an easy decision.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
4 May 2025
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The latest claim was leveled by Adam Schleifer, formerly an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, in a filing last week with the Merit Systems Protection Board, which handles wrongful termination appeals from federal workers.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pettifogger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogger. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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