quibble 1 of 2

verb

ˈkwi-bəl How to pronounce quibble (audio)
Definition of quibblenext
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

quibble

2 of 2

noun

as in objection

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quibble
Verb
The location, gorgeous skyline view and broad strokes of the project offer plenty of intrigue — offer less to quibble with than, say, a Crossroads District plan that never moved past the to-be-determined stage of displacing local businesses. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026 The story that’s being quibbled about concerns a teen suicide. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
Ricketts has minor quibbles with some of the assumptions behind these projections. — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 6 May 2026 Something’s lost in the translation, but with dazzling costumes, hyper-energetic singing and dancing and joyful spirit filling the Nederlander, quibbles end up banished beyond the flats. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quibble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibble
  1. complain
  2. argue
  3. objection
  4. nitpick
  5. bicker
  6. protest
  7. fuss
  8. fight
Verb
  • Someone else even complained about the self-clean feature ruining their appliance.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2026
  • By July, morale among immigration officers had dipped below its nadir during the Biden Administration, with agents now complaining of being overextended, inundated with novice recruits, and undermined by inflammatory rhetoric from on high.
    — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • The plaintiffs argued that Trump’s order exceeds his presidential authority and violates the Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Privacy Act.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
  • If El-Sayed loses, there will be a fight over blame between Democrats who spent tens of millions of dollars to support him and progressives who’ll argue that the party establishment can’t be trusted when leftist candidates win a nomination.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of argue
Noun
  • During a May 19 hearing, a judge set his bail at $1,000 over objection of the District Attorney's office and ordered him not to contact his wife or return to the family home.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Judge Faruqui seemed skeptical of the objection, saying that the testimony appeared to be directly relevant to his eventual determination of whether there is sufficient probable cause for the charges.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of objection
Verb
  • After decades of debate — and months of nitpicking a draft map released earlier this year — every house, business and government building was assigned its final number in September.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This can lead to nitpicking as opposed to harnessing important details that can lead to practical solutions.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of nitpick
Verb
  • The two of them together, just 17 months apart, shared playlists, bickered over where to stop during Apple CarPlay calls, pulled up beside me and faded away with silly faces, encapsulating 20 years of my life in my rearview mirror.
    — Robert Duffer, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Like law enforcement agents everywhere, they’re disposed to bickering about jurisdiction or pumping each other for off-limits information.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of bicker
Noun
  • About 50 organizations have called for a protest against the far right on the sidelines of the two-day congress of Marine Le Pen's nationalist, anti-immigration party ahead of next spring's presidential election.
    — ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Barriers installed at a Louis Vuitton store in Paris on Thursday ahead of what is expected to be a weekend of more violent protests.
    — Richard Engel, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of protest
Verb
  • Perhaps only a pedant—or a hypocrite—would fuss about that kind of imprecision.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
  • If the offensive line’s healthy again, RB Saquon Barkley will ramble again, broadening QB Jalen Hurts’ margin for error and being fussed at by the coaching staff.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of fuss
Verb
  • Spouses already made financially vulnerable by years of relocations can be left navigating unfamiliar courts, hiring lawyers in two countries and fighting simply to bring their children home.
    — Brianna Keilar, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Brooke’s healing journey Luther, whose daughter Oakley is almost 3 years old now, has been fighting to not let her injuries define her.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of fight

Browse Nearby Words

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quibble
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Cite this Entry

“Quibble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibble. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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