as in complained
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
you know it drives me crazy when you niggle like that
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Recent Examples of niggled
Later though, the conversation niggled at me.
—
Rachel Linden, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Rachel Linden, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggled
Verb
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Lawmakers have complained that redactions in the files appear to go beyond the limited exemptions allowed for in a law Congress passed nearly unanimously in November.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Raskin complained there are just four computers in a DOJ satellite office where lawmakers can review the documents.—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dunst doesn’t get fussed about that sort of thing.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Nov. 2025
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Others might tell you that hosting an awards show is a thankless gig, but Bargatze doesn’t seem fussed.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some trustees saw the enforcement approach as reasonable and quibbled with the details, while others wanted Wilmette to go much further in its restrictions.—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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Those specific numbers can obviously be quibbled with.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
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Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.—
Lauren Caruba,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
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But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Niggled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggled. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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