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
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Jan. 2026
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
Foreign Affairs, 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
That quibble aside, sports all but gobbled up the entire chart, as 95 of the items on the list were devoted to football, baseball, basketball, horseracing and boxing.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
Neither Israelis nor Palestinians can be satisfied by the reduction of their historical and religious claims to technical quibbles over borders and diplomatic recognition.
—Foreign Affairs, 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
-
The large Sunbridge development is planned nearby, but there are no current residents anywhere near it to complain.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But Kesselman said his sister had unbelievable courage and never complained.—
Natalie McMillan,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And the prosecutors argued that Lauer’s decision to wait eight years after the initial FBI raid to enter a guilty plea should result in a longer sentence.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Those results ran afoul of the Club World Cup’s multi-ownership rule, Alajuelense argued.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The moral objections to looksmaxxing are numerous, severe, and obvious.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Tillis went to the Senate floor shortly afterward and passed a resolution, with no objections, to place the plaque on the Senate side.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sure, scouts will nitpick his profile.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
-
Jokic and Oklahoma City’s players had bothered each other and bickered all night.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
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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
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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The meetings come as the Republican administration seeks to leverage military assets to restore dominance in the hemisphere while now also fighting a war in Iran.—
JOSHUA GOODMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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These are people who fought alongside American troops during our last forever war.—
Shawn Vandiver,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Where some see a form of protest, federal prosecutors allege intent to cause harm.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Most recently, during January’s anti-government protests, the authorities killed thousands of protesters and plunged the entire country into international isolation with an internet blackout.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quibble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibble. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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