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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My husband loves that this particular style is infused with a touch of precious metal to give off a slight metallic sheen.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026 -
Hz to 240 Hz, 360 Hz, and beyond, with each jump promising a slight visual feedback edge for competitive players.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Set in Gaza in 2007, and following the misadventures of a student (Nader Abd Alhay) and restaurant owner and petty criminal (Majd Eid), the picture premiered in Un Certain Regard last year and won the Best Director prize.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
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On Monday, the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for dela Rosa, a former national police chief who first enforced then President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug crackdowns, in which thousands of mostly petty suspects were killed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Despite their tiny size, the devices delivered some of the strongest efficiencies reported for ultrathin perovskite solar technology.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
The kibble is smaller and meant for tiny mouths.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to the National Park Service, about 80 percent of visitors to Yosemite never venture beyond Yosemite Valley, which makes up a minute percentage of this 1,190-square-mile park.—
Matt Bell,
AFAR Media,
19 May 2026
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Having seen it on TV before, with its repetitive visuals—every athlete in black spandex, performing the same tasks with minute variations—this seemed dubious.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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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.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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The health factor is no trifling qualifier for a player who has missed time with shoulder and oblique injuries, in addition to that unfortunate incident with his pelvic floor.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Where the Parallels Still Matter Despite these differences, the similarities are not trivial.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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A hill of beans isn't so trivial anymore.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Below, shop the best little black dresses inspired by Michele’s posh, minimalist look for under $60 at Amazon, including knee-length, midi, and maxi options.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
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More than 100 little, laughing faces were yelling thank you.—
Brian Lamar,
Sun Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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 24 May. 2026.
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