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
  • Here, she’s matured as a well-rounded comedienne who can pull the stops for subtle approaches to laughs, and though the mugging is still evident, it’s only used for propitious moments.
    — Hank Grant, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Comey’s nods to Drexler are mostly subtle, drawing from the artist’s color palette of vibrant hues from bright green and orange to cobalt blue and lilac, with an eye toward their high-contrast juxtapositions, a hallmark of Drexler’s paintings.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of subtle
Noun
  • Bunch said that one of his goals in the head role was to encourage Americans to embrace ambiguity and recognize that America is a complicated, multifaceted nation.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
  • At some point in the 2010s, ethnic ambiguity became not just a useful way to broaden the casting pool but something fashionable.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambiguity
Verb
  • But across San Ángel, anger was palpable, with many complaining about the government’s inaction.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Trump has a long history of complaining about Fox to Murdoch — while also coveting its support and complimenting its pro-Trump stars.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • There’s striker Josie Gordon, bickering twin sisters Siobhan and Niamh, glove-shunning goalie Katie ‘Boots’ Quinn and couple Maddie and Margy.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Back at the base, the team is still bickering with the other troopers.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of bickering
Adjective
  • When tech is used for learning, however, the results are more nuanced.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The conversations on both shows were nuanced and substantive.
    — Nicole Russell, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of nuanced
Noun
  • Because of the legal murkiness, Pratte urges people to talk to an attorney before foregoing registration.
    — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Milei has rejected calls for government intervention, arguing that unpaid debts are a private matter between borrowers and lenders rather than a symptom of wider economic distress.
    — Débora Rey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Reddington said his first priority is arguing later this month that a retrial would violate Clancy's constitutional protection against double jeopardy because the mistrial was declared over the defense's objection.
    — Bryan Llenas , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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