quibbling 1 of 3

adjective

as in nitpicking

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quibbling

2 of 3

noun

as in ambiguity

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quibbling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of quibble
1
as in complaining
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

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2
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily don't quibble over who gets to sit in front

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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 quibbling
Adjective
More support tickets, more quibbling, more negotiating. — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
This may seem like semantic quibbling, but the stakes of imprecise legislation in this domain are quite high. — Kevin Frazier, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
Joy Randolph and John Early, as the two Afterlife Coordinators, have a quibbling charisma, but the movie should have done more with all its possible versions of paradise, figuring out how to use them comedically instead of just as easy punchlines. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025 When the murder of 100,000 people, many of them women and children, is mentioned or denounced, or when someone dares to use terms such as genocide, ethnocide, ethnic cleansing or similar, most people choose to take issue with the characterization, quibbling over semantics. — Uriel Kon september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibbling
  1. subtle
  2. ambiguity
  3. complaining
  4. bickering
  5. nuanced
  6. murkiness
  7. fussing
  8. arguing
Adjective
  • The herbal shiso adds a subtle savory depth, delivering a clean, refreshing balance to the textures and flavor.
    — Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Ask someone to review a two-hour video and identify subtle violations, and they are almost guaranteed to miss something.
    — Tal Lev-Ami, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of subtle
Noun
  • Bradshaw raised the ambiguity of the film’s central letter, in which Elisabet leaves an envelope open for Alma to read, and asked whether Bergman was showing a darker, more sadistic side of his heroine.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • An email to me from WHO provides the information needed to resolve the ambiguity.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambiguity
Verb
  • Parents keep complaining to me that their kids are sedentary at school, even though humans need to keep moving throughout the day to be healthy.
    — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Aside from social media posts complaining about the war’s fallout and some grumbling from oligarchs about the Kremlin seizing their assets, there are still no signs of any widespread popular unrest against Vladimir Putin’s regime.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • Back at the base, the team is still bickering with the other troopers.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026
  • After bickering with Percy over her involvement in the mission, Thalia ultimately drives away from the scene.
    — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Definition of bickering
Adjective
  • That transformation demands training, public investment and far more nuanced language than either mass-unemployment headlines or promises of effortless abundance provide.
    — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The bold coffee notes helped balance the sweetness, creating a drink that tasted more nuanced than overly sugary.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuanced
Noun
  • That’s because dishwashers are equipped with something called a turbidity sensor that basically senses the murkiness of the water and adjusts the wash cycle accordingly.
    — Emily Farris, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The murkiness of the injury bled into free agency and Christensen’s Carolina future remains unsettled, despite the team’s unproven depth options on the line, particularly at guard.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
Definition of murkiness
Verb
  • Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of fussing
Verb
  • This opinion sparked debate in the online nutrition community, with some dietitians and nutritionists arguing that bananas should not be villainized based on a small body of research.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Prasad defended his decision by arguing that the company didn’t compare its mRNA vaccine’s efficacy to the correct existing vaccine.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of arguing

Browse Nearby Words

quibbles
quibbling
quick
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Cite this Entry

“Quibbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbling. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of quibbling for Spanish Speakers

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