1
as in to complain
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 to argue
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 objection
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 quibble
Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2025
And for suborbital space tourism, quibbling over definitions can take on a life of its own.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
My only quibble is the costume team’s decision to accessorize Smoke in blue and Stack in flame red.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quibble
Verb
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
And for suborbital space tourism, quibbling over definitions can take on a life of its own.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
But those gripes strike me as nothing more than minor quibbles.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
My only quibble is the costume team’s decision to accessorize Smoke in blue and Stack in flame red.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quibble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibble
Verb
-
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
-
Occasionally, drivers call the CHP to complain — especially during rush hour.—
Tina Li,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Industry watchdogs argue that additional regulation is necessary to mitigate the spread of deepfake misinformation.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
3 June 2025
-
Nicholson argues the clock reset every time she was turned away from the stage.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Several Republicans have already expressed objections to the legislation as approved by the House.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
-
Product joined to hear objections directly from the field.—
Aaron Biggs,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Each new video only gave viewers more to nitpick over.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2025
-
The reason that Chernow’s failure to take cognizance of the steamboat Arago seems problematic enough to nitpick has nothing to do with the business of the pen name, which Chernow does discuss.—
John Jeremiah Sullivan,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
There’s a genuine brother-and-sister warmth between the Andy and Piper characters in Bring Her Back — and plenty of sibling bickering too.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
30 May 2025
-
Yet a design challenge is a smart choice to assign this particular group of queens because that means locking them in the workroom to bicker between assembling garments.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
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
-
The baby occasionally fussed, and Khalil turned around and smiled at his wife and son.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
If there are a number of cautions on Sunday, don’t be surprised if some teams begin to fight mechanical gremlins.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
-
There are mysteries to be solved and fights to be fought, but most of all, there’s a lot of growing up to do.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
This unit is responsible for the management and safety of large gatherings, such as protests, festivals, sporting events and concerts.—
Ramal Nasim,
Kansas City Star,
5 June 2025
-
The Department of Education said Columbia University violated federal anti-discrimination laws and failed to meet accreditation standards over its handling of pro-Palestinian protests last year.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quibble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibble. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share