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

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 story that’s being quibbled about concerns a teen suicide. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026 While facelift surgeons quibble over semantics and what truly distinguishes one method from another, ultimately, all modern facelifts adjust the SMAS (muscle layer) in some way. — Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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 One small quibble — in Greece, a classic salad does not contain lettuce. — Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 9 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
  • Meanwhile top women’s seed Aryna Sabalenka complained when the smell of marijuana wafted from crowd to court.
    — Greg Cote September 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Influencers, along with other fans, have interrupted matches and top player Aryna Sabalenka complained about the smell of marijuana during a match.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • One controversial second of game clock later, Michigan fans were swarming the field to celebrate a Hail Mary that many impartial observers argued shouldn’t have happened.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Gates argued that government and civil society need to move much more quickly.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of argue
Noun
  • Reddington said his first priority is arguing later this month that a retrial would violate Clancy's constitutional protection against double jeopardy because the mistrial was declared over the defense's objection.
    — Bryan Llenas , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • And that is the undercurrent to me of any objections towards physicality in women's pro-athletics because a lot of people don't believe women should be playing professional sports as is.
    — Sam Fragoso, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of objection
Verb
  • But on a night where there was little to nitpick, the Trojans weren’t exactly efficient on the ground.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 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
  • While the boys bicker over stickball rules, old-timers Keith Hernandez, Willie Randolph and Tom Seaver argue from a stoop.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Kimmel and Damon then bicker over who has a rightful paternal claim to the child, culminating in a pitch-perfect spoof of Maury featuring Short as Povich.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of bicker
Noun
  • After weeks of public protest, Barneys removed the work and apologized in a full-page ad in the Times.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • But his popularity plummeted amid tax hikes that prompted street protests.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 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
  • The fourth plane was headed for Washington, officials concluded, but the aircraft went down in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members stormed the cockpit and fought the hijackers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • San Francisco must now fight the effects of trying to reset those body clocks back to Pacific Time ahead of the final 16 games, and perhaps that’s Los Angeles’ edge in never changing at all.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of fight

Browse Nearby Words

queuing
quibble
quibbled
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Cite this Entry

“Quibble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibble. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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