as in slight
old-fashioned
worrying too much about details that are minor or not important
pettifogging lawyers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettifogging
Adjective
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Not when your opponent is spending its each and every waking moment scouring film for even the slightest advantage.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025 -
This lightweight cream truly melts right in without the slightest bit of cast.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Days later, the California native hopped on X and taunted the Honestly Nevermind producer with a series of petty insults.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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The real worry, though, is their kids one day finding everything online—a fear more relatable than petty.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Follicle cysts form when the tiny sac (called a follicle) that houses the maturing egg during your cycle doesn’t break open as usual to release said egg.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Sprinkle the tiny seeds about 1 inch apart down the trench and lightly cover with soil.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At the best of times, coordinating controls is a lengthy process, requiring consensus on both the overall strategic approach and minute technical details.—
Nikita Lalwani,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Apr. 2025
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While the whole collection starts at 1,150 euros for a slimline bracelet with a minute buckle motif and goes up to over a million euros for its high jewelry designs, most of its models currently sit in the low four-figure range.—
Lily Templeton,
WWD,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 May 2010
Adjective
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Philosophers are in a unique place to solve this riddle as current events are largely trivial in their work.—
Theodore McDarrah,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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It may be generally dismissed as trivial, but Bernstein conducted it with characterful nostalgia and Dudamel has found in it vibrant new spirit.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Obstetricians say, at the end of the day, AFE is really just a product of bad luck, and there's little that can be done to prevent it.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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In it is an über-posh upholstered bed—a slightly ironic addition for a professional who seems to leave little time for rest.—
Mel Studach,
Architectural Digest,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.—
Star Tribune,
Star Tribune,
3 Dec. 2020
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Millions of additional claims are expected to stream in from around the country over the coming weeks, while hiring remains piddling.—
Patricia Cohen,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2020
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Cite this Entry
“Pettifogging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogging. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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