QUIBBLED Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

quibbled

verb

past tense of quibble

as in complained

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

as in bickered

to express different opinions about something often angrily don't quibble over who gets to sit in front

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 quibbled The story that’s being quibbled about concerns a teen suicide. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026 During a debate Tuesday, some lawmakers quibbled over whether the bill would infringe on the free market. — Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026 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 Those specific numbers can obviously be quibbled with. — Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 That trove included more than 300 black-and-white photographs, shared via JSTOR, which capture both Lulu the woman and Lulu the clown, though Lulu would have quibbled with the distinction. — April White, JSTOR Daily, 18 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibbled

Verb

Blake Snell left Wednesday’s game early with groin issues and Tyler Glasnow recently complained of general discomfort.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
The recall was issued September 15 after consumers complained of stones and other hard objects within the dessert’s cashew clusters.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of complained

Verb

King bickered with fans on social media.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
But Tilly and Gershon playfully bickered onstage as the former remembered things slightly differently, with Tilly saying the problem had more to do with a shot of her hand on Gershon's crotch that was deemed too realistic.

— Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 June 2026

Definition of bickered

Verb

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
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

Definition of fussed

Verb

But the earnings data used by Dangote and its issuing houses make assumptions and calculations that are not clearly reconciled, Fawehinmi argued in an analysis published on Substack over the weekend.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Native American groups have argued that the construction could inhibit their ability to practice their faith and is damaging important religious sites while environmentalists worry the wall will cause flooding or keep animals from migrating.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of argued

Verb

In Krisevich’s case, Konovalova repeatedly quarreled with the artist and his wife until the couple ultimately escaped Russia in December 2025.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
During his time in the Senate, Brattin was previously a member of the Conservative Caucus, which later rebranded as the Missouri Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-charging lawmakers that frequently quarreled with GOP leadership.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of quarreled

Verb

This was 1872, and the pious (and patronizing) commentators of the time muttered that Damien’s unvarnished personality was due to his simple farm upbringing in rural Belgium.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Bat met ball and, under his breath, Astros manager Joe Espada muttered an expletive.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026

Definition of muttered

Verb

The latest reminder came 42 minutes into Thursday’s hearing in a Louisiana district court in which more than 30 athletes fought to be included within the NCAA rule change that effectively gave every athlete five years to play five seasons.

— Matt Baker, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
In an address late Thursday, Milei reasserted Argentina’s claim to the islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, which the United Kingdom has controlled since 1833 and over which the two countries fought a war in the early 1980s.

— Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of fought

Browse Nearby Words

quibble

quibbled

quibbler

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Style

“Quibbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbled. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of quibbled

verb

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