1
as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
he spent the entire evening quibbling about the historical inaccuracies in the television series on World War II
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to argue
to express different opinions about something often angrily
don't quibble over who gets to sit in front
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in objection
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of quibble
Joey Garrison, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Those specific numbers can obviously be quibbled with.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 18 Nov. 2025
My only quibble is that no working professional in recorded history has ever gone home for the Fourth of July.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quibble
Verb
Historians may quibble, but a review of Cheney’s actions and statements appears to be a definitive no.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Those specific numbers can obviously be quibbled with.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
The same quibbles, but just writ larger (and, yes, longer).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 18 Nov. 2025
My only quibble is that no working professional in recorded history has ever gone home for the Fourth of July.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quibble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibble
Verb
-
Much of this isn't included in Fennell's version, and early on, many complained the movie seemed to romanticize the abuse in the book.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Dieppa said a nearby daycare complained of cat waste.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, some rank-and-file Democrats are still floating the idea of funding everything except ICE and Customs and Border Protection, arguing those agencies are already funded and should be isolated from other key government functions.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
17 Feb. 2026
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Vedam’s supporters believe investigators fixated on him as the lone suspect at the expense of other legitimate leads, arguing that his ethnicity played a role in how authorities homed in on him in the early days of the case and at trial.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That deal and others that followed were cleared over the objections of top antitrust division staff including Slater.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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The bill initially passed 87-36 in the House and 30-9 in the Senate — both above the two-thirds threshold necessary to enact legislation into law over the governor’s objection.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While her intentions may stem from concern, her nitpicking mirrors this Earth sign’s shadow side.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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So your first indication of problems can be a client who nitpicks every job, forcing you to return to re-trim the 2-inch patch of sod that the client claims wasn’t properly manicured.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her grandparents are constantly bickering, worn down by the pressures of keeping the family hotel afloat.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The choice not to pick a team has left fans bickering with each other.—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Asparagus fern is very tolerant of indoor living, doesn't fuss too much about watering schedules, and can make do with less-than-ideal lighting conditions.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Your son is fussing in his car seat.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For some people, dogs are a way to feel loved, to relieve pressures to have kids, to fight the drudgery of their job, to reduce the stress of the rat race and to connect with the outdoors.—
Margret Grebowicz,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Ask a Native person why Native people have volunteered to fight in the US’s wars overseas, including in Korea, my homeland, and Vietnam, the most recent nation of origin of many of my refugee friends.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Last July, Ukrainians took to the streets in rare wartime protests to push back against the government’s plans to weaken the independence of the country’s anti-corruption watchdogs.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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But a protest last week ended in riots and a police crackdown, El País reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quibble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibble. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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