pettifogger

noun

Definition of pettifoggernext
1
as in lawyer

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2
as in quibbler

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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 pettifogger For nearly three years now, I’ve been fascinated by the performance art of this blustering pettifogger. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettifogger
  1. lawyer
  2. purist
  3. shyster
  4. perfectionist
  5. attorney
Noun
  • The justices, too, seemed eager to embrace electronic recording in cases where no court reporter is available and litigants cannot afford to pay for one on their own, repeatedly pressing lawyers on exactly how such a ruling might be written.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Attorneys and the judge prepared the jury charge, which contains the instructions for the panel’s deliberations, and the lawyers made their closing arguments on Monday afternoon.
    — Star-Telegram staff. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2026
Definition of lawyer
Noun
  • This year, blessedly free of injury, Muchová has belatedly been able to play the kind of tennis that makes purists purr.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Some soccer purists grumbled about the World Cup expanding this year from 32 to 48 teams.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of purist
Noun
  • The bubble-ists think that the Coreweave people are hopeless dreamers at best and shysters at worst.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
  • To demonstrate that point in a video, a researcher told a robot arm to put a bunch of plastic grapes into a clear Tupperware container, then proceeded to shift three containers around on the table in an approximation of a shyster’s shell game.
    — Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of shyster
Noun
  • Angela, a high-strung perfectionist, spends the day meticulously preparing dinner and decorating the apartment for the impromptu gathering.
    — Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Herbert is such a perfectionist.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 17 June 2026
Definition of perfectionist
Noun
  • News cameras will be allowed to record and broadcast much of the hearing, the judge ruled last week over the objections of Robinson’s attorneys.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • The crucial pretrial hearing was pushed back as prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over what evidence could be presented and if cameras would be allowed in the courtroom.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of attorney

Browse Nearby Words

petticoat
pettifogger
pettifoggers
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Cite this Entry

“Pettifogger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogger. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pettifogger

Nglish: Translation of pettifogger for Spanish Speakers

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