as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
her husband nitpicks about everything: from how she puts the plates away to how she files the bills
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Recent Examples of nitpick
After 40-Yard Dash Time Sanders had a good showing overall at the pro day, but as with his entire career, people have been nitpicking it.
—
John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
Apple is not legally required to re-admit Fortnite, but the questions now are whether Apple is going to nitpick some specific thing to deny the app that caused all this, or whether Fortnite has somehow pushed the bounds of the results of the case to twist the knife even further.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Fans of the game have either enjoyed the series so far, nitpicked a number of differences between them, or both.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The Kremlin’s sincerity in seeking a ceasefire is increasingly suspect after weeks of negotiating, nitpicking, and reneging on U.S. proposals already approved by Ukraine.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitpick
John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
Apple is not legally required to re-admit Fortnite, but the questions now are whether Apple is going to nitpick some specific thing to deny the app that caused all this, or whether Fortnite has somehow pushed the bounds of the results of the case to twist the knife even further.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Fans of the game have either enjoyed the series so far, nitpicked a number of differences between them, or both.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The Kremlin’s sincerity in seeking a ceasefire is increasingly suspect after weeks of negotiating, nitpicking, and reneging on U.S. proposals already approved by Ukraine.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitpick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpick
Verb
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Patterson complained about her in-laws behind their backs Erin and Simon Patterson got married in 2007 and, after splitting and reconciling multiple times over the years, separated permanently in 2015.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
7 June 2025
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Occasionally, drivers call the CHP to complain — especially during rush hour.—
Tina Li,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
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That was the number that the secretary was quibbling over.—
/ CBS News,
CBS News,
1 June 2025
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The new administration can quibble with the technical points of the listing, Koch said, but that will do nothing to change the reality: The bird is at risk of extinction and needs to be protected.—
Benji Jones,
Vox,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Naysayers often cavil that California’s economic growth depends almost entirely on Silicon Valley and the capital gains income of its wealthiest residents, but its primacy in high technology encompasses fields outside Northern California, such as biotech.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2021
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However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.—
Kelly Corbett,
House Beautiful,
7 Oct. 2020
Verb
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Throughout the footage, Leah, from Fort Worth, Texas, can be seen fussing Lunch Box and fawning over her sweet foster pup.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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The baby occasionally fussed, and Khalil turned around and smiled at his wife and son.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
23 May 2025
Verb
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There’s no point moaning without offering some kind of solution.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
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Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Erik Windsor said fire crews removed a manhole cover in the general area of the storm drain opening, inserted a powerful listening device and heard moaning.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nitpick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpick. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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