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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 nitpick
Rivals can nitpick details in the paperwork and file challenges that sometimes force elections officials to review hundreds of signatures per candidate.
—
Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2024
People are sick of the Biden administration’s excessive overreach, including the intention to hire 87,000 new Internal Revenue Service agents to nitpick every aspect of their lives.
—Carol Miller, National Review, 16 Dec. 2024
Margins Issues are Overblown Analysts were nitpicking margins, yet this concern is overblown.
—Beth Kindig, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Similarly, viewers nitpicked an image Siragusa shared of her door frame, which was purportedly shot open.
—Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitpick
Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2024
People are sick of the Biden administration’s excessive overreach, including the intention to hire 87,000 new Internal Revenue Service agents to nitpick every aspect of their lives.
—Carol Miller, National Review, 16 Dec. 2024
Margins Issues are Overblown Analysts were nitpicking margins, yet this concern is overblown.
—Beth Kindig, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Similarly, viewers nitpicked an image Siragusa shared of her door frame, which was purportedly shot open.
—Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitpick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpick
Verb
-
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins complained to public broadcaster Radio New Zealand that the bill is only meant to grab attention.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Preservationists are complaining that Tranquillity’s plan would harm the open views in that part of town.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And for suborbital space tourism, quibbling over definitions can take on a life of its own.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Behind closed doors and then eventually in media sessions, Vermes quibbled that Sporting’s spending hadn’t kept up with the rest of the league, leaving a stale roster.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.—
Kelly Corbett,
House Beautiful,
7 Oct. 2020
Verb
-
Williams never fussed about it, though and his relationships with many in the organization weren’t overly affected.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2025
-
No crying or fussing or squirming.—
Danielle Pergament,
SELF,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In fact, regulars’ favorite thing to moan about, year after year, is the ever-mounting cost of Carnival fete tickets and costumes.—
Baz Dreisinger,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Ramirez said the detectives had found belongings near the storm drain entrance and heard what sounded like a woman moaning from inside the storm drain.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nitpick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpick. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share