1
as in complains
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 argues
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibbles
Verb
-
Out of innumerable likely topics, Maher complains about folks who defend cats.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026 -
At one point in the documentary, Suga, one of the group’s rappers, complains that there is too much English on the album.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Stubborn Venus in your visible 10th house argues with intense Pluto in your 7th House of Alliances, spotlighting a tug-of-war between public praise and private promises.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In her letter to acting TSA Administrator Nguyen McNeill, dated April 3, the Illinois senator argues that TSA's lack of response may actually violate federal law.—
Sarah Ploss,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Parliament Speaker Aung Lin Dwe said the appointments of 30 ministers were approved with no objections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Since the initial news of Gatewood’s filing with the IG, speculation regarding the content of the complaint has focused on ShotSpotter, the gunshot-detection technology formerly employed in parts of the city, which Johnson ended in the fall of 2024 over the objections of a majority of aldermen.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So your first indication of problems can be a client who nitpicks every job, forcing you to return to re-trim the 2-inch patch of sod that the client claims wasn’t properly manicured.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
But Brian constantly nitpicks her purchases.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The pope, played by Samora la Perdida, is a mincing oaf who bickers with Galas about the value of translating Wagner.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But challenges remain, especially the immediate task of turning this ambitious vision into reality with the world economy upended by the energy shock from the war in Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There are challenges in targeting a predominantly male audience with campaigning about predominantly male violence.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The three bills also are not the first headline-grabbing action from Schroer, who serves as chair of the Senate’s hard-right Freedom Caucus, which frequently quarrels with GOP leadership.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His reelection in 2025 sparked widespread protests that left at least four people dead, signaling growing tensions between the mostly young population and its aging leader.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
And the questions about why these children are in these deep protests against contemporary life—refusing to go to school, refusing to eat—are inseparable from their inability to imagine a future.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Quibbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbles. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
