as in slight
old-fashioned
worrying too much about details that are minor or not important
pettifogging lawyers
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettifogging
Adjective
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The Emmys’ producers passing up on even the slightest possibility of a Werner Herzog acceptance speech is sheer lunacy.
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The team has improved so much that its 1-1 draw against powerhouse Brazil was a slight disappointment.
Adjective
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Instead, Defendants appear to be actively undermining the restoration of the Kennedy Center’s name, in a petty act of defiance.
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The two deaths join a long list of other instances of Black Americans dying in interactions with police after accusations of petty criminal offenses.
Adjective
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Merlin, a 2-year-old duck, has taken the internet by storm, captivating fans with his tiny form-fitting Team Mexico jersey and confident waddle around his home of Mexico City.
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Providing indefinite joy for the price of just one night at a hotel, this Instagram-worthy blow-up shelter is practically a portable tiny home that sets up within a few minutes.
Adjective
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The visual changes are relatively minute.
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In a sea of important tourbillons at Watches and Wonders this year, minute repeaters and striking watches made a musical statement of their own.
Adjective
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In less trifling hands, there’s no telling what these tools could do, are doing now.
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Meanwhile, that global temperature record that DiCaprio mentioned in his acceptance speech in 2016 seems almost trifling compared to what has happened since.
Adjective
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These statements are not trivial.
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My polite reply to her email doesn't amount to anything more than a trivial note.
Adjective
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There, officers found the little girl with severe, life-threatening injuries.
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Contrary to popular belief, the central bank has little influence over home loan rates.
Adjective
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Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.
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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.
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“Pettifogging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogging. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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