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
Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
But the Hornets won’t quibble much about that given how Flagg got hot during the second quarter, firing in 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting in nine minutes.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2026
Todd Martens, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Culinary connectedness The latest durian quibble reflects a broader debate over national foods across Nusantara—which refers to the Malay Archipelago, extending across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quibble
Verb
Some trustees saw the enforcement approach as reasonable and quibbled with the details, while others wanted Wilmette to go much further in its restrictions.
—Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
But the Hornets won’t quibble much about that given how Flagg got hot during the second quarter, firing in 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting in nine minutes.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
The only quibble is the show primarily runs on weekends only.
—Todd Martens, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Culinary connectedness The latest durian quibble reflects a broader debate over national foods across Nusantara—which refers to the Malay Archipelago, extending across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quibble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibble
Verb
-
Many complained about time-wasting technology platforms.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The suit states that Rivera complained about Baker’s job performance and had requested another partner.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Democrats are demanding that Mills also be expelled, arguing similar conduct should have similar outcomes.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
21 Apr. 2026
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Arteta and his Arsenal squad have, of course, downplayed the noise around the club this season, arguing that the widespread mocking doesn’t impact the inner sanctum of the team.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The obvious objection is that assigning ownership means nothing unless people honor the assignments.—
Antony Davies,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Gloria’s plan drew immediate objections from groups citywide, including in La Jolla.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That meant making some hard choices and nitpicking reasons for why one place shouldn't be included.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
11 Apr. 2026
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Its members, many still fatigued from the 2023 strike, don’t seem poised — at least for now — to nitpick their deal or criticize their union for not pushing hard enough.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Against the backdrop of an island honeymoon, the two men clash and bicker before gradually uncovering an unexpected bond.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
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For those of us interested in governing and not bickering, this is a good thing.—
Gail Slater,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
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The crime went unsolved for many years, prompting Mason to start making this movie in the early 2000s, and the immediate conclusion to jump to is that the LAPD maybe wasn’t too fussed about it.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Viel also finished the game by fighting Podkolzin.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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Does the fact that none of this was effective—at least in the sense that Trump hasn’t been driven from the political scene for good—suggest that Democrats should now fight dirtier?—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But what Danielson says was intended as a symbolic protest escalated dramatically amid paranoid fantasies, prosaic miscommunications, and the false report of a gun.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
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It also has been roiled by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, stirring protests outside the venues and forcing organizers to clamp down on political flag-waving.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quibble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibble. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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