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
-
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
-
Young people lack experience with the awkward pauses of conversation, the ambiguity of social cues, and the grit required to make up with a hurt or angry friend.—
Russell Shaw,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
-
Poker Face has played fast and loose with how Charlie’s gift actually works, an intentional ambiguity that only gets more complicated with the reveal that actually, yeah, Charlie can be lied to.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 July 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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They are intended to reduce trauma to the scalp, may contribute to smoother recovery, and are designed to help achieve subtle, natural-looking outcomes.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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The property’s subtle musical motif reminds guests of its beginnings as a radio station, while the sunset libations at its Hi-Fi Rooftop Bar draw a regular crowd.—
Katie Strasberg Rousso,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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There are even more nuanced Chinese dishes, like dan dan noodles and wonton in chili oil highlighting southwestern flavors of Sichuan, beef noodles from the western province of Xi’an, and dim sum from the Guangdong region.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
4 July 2025
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Although the Vatican doesn't really do Hollywood, as USA TODAY writes, the filmmakers were still able to capture the nuanced details of the conclave, from elaborate clothing to Latinate voting oaths.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Quibbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbling. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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