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
  • But Scheft and his team are mastering the subtle differences and plan to offer many of the same loaves available in Boston, though the bakeries will have a few different offerings.
    — Connie Ogle July 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • In one of Nolan’s subtle but important additions to Homer’s tale, all throughout the film, everyone expresses fears about the People from the Sea, this unseen menace terrorizing different towns.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of subtle
Noun
  • This ambiguity doesn’t feel entirely intentional, but at least Paksoy’s performance makes her character’s unraveling feel nervy and thrillingly palpable.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 11 July 2026
  • As stablecoins become more integrated with payments and capital markets, regulators will have less tolerance for ambiguity around how these products are backed and operated.
    — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of ambiguity
Verb
  • Rodriguez said in a May phone interview with the Herald that detainees had been complaining when a guard approached him and told him to walk out of the cage where he and other men were housed.
    — Churchill Ndonwie, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026
  • These reviews are overall mixed with positive reviews praising USGB’s customer service and negative ones complaining about frequent marketing calls.
    — Javier Simon, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • Several weeks back, Clark and White were caught bickering during a timeout huddle against the expansion Portland Fire.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026
  • The plot centers on bickering couple Joe and Angela, who invite their noisy upstairs neighbors, Hawk and Piña, for dinner.
    — Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of bickering
Adjective
  • Hawkins, by contrast, almost seems to be thumbing his nose at the whole concept of existing as a complex, nuanced human being.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 16 July 2026
  • Writers tend to find this process—reducing a complex, nuanced work of art down to a tidy cartoon version of itself—excruciating.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Definition of nuanced
Noun
  • 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
  • As Raul grapples with telling the story of Elsa’s life, he’s confronted by the murkiness of borrowing from real people for the purposes of fiction.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 May 2026
Definition of murkiness
Verb
  • Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
  • Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of fussing
Verb
  • Earlier on Thursday, Paramount filed its opposition, arguing that the states are unlikely to prevail on their case and should not be granted a restraining order.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • In 2013, the Surfrider Foundation sued Khosla’s LLCs, arguing that the Coastal Act required them to obtain a permit before restricting public access to the beach.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of arguing

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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 18 Jul. 2026.

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