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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bickering
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 nitpicking
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in ambiguity
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibbling
Verb
-
The irony of the quintessential real estate expert buying a home in the flight path of an international airport, then complaining about the noise, is not lost on the rest of Palm Beach County.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025 -
The Buccaneers started complaining to the officials about fouls.—
CJ Moore,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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An alien spaceship has spiked an immensely popular bubblegum with an interdimensional ectoplasm that turns everyone who chews it into zombies, and the only ones who can save humanity are bickering foster brothers Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (both voiced by Eric Bauza).—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2025
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Pratt, whose character plays like a cross between Han Solo and Jack Burton, is gifted with a moment or two, bickering with Herman like a married couple and yeeting cars at Sentre headquarters.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But the resulting ambiguity can fuel tensions as well.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
29 June 2025
-
The divide between the sexes seems to be widening, with many individuals reluctant to find themselves in the gray area in between, where ambiguity could lead to criticism or social ostracism.—
Jerry Colonna,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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However, some Democrats, including Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton, suggested the backlash was overblown, arguing that public opinion is shifting in favor of restrictions on transgender athletes.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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The president justified his decision by arguing that all three of the nations were not doing enough to curb the influx of drugs, specifically fentanyl, coming into the United States.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In this edition, the grey tone reflects the muted, misty landscape of the British coast, with subtle variations achieved through multiple layers of transparent lacquer.—
Matthew Catellier,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The result was a robust workforce forecasting model, one that’s sophisticated enough to consider the subtle complexities of human behavior and help identify potential attrition risks.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Investing at the intersection of tech and travel is more nuanced.—
Dana Dunne,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Saller developed a nuanced understanding of global supply chains, international trade dynamics, and the unpredictable nature of logistics.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Quibbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbling. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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