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
Examples 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
Andrew Hindmoor, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
Specialists in particular eras and regions will undoubtedly quibble with some of Scheidel’s assumptions, inferences, and computations.
—Timur Kuran, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
Brian Barrett, WIRED, 24 July 2021
For all my quibbles with the show, Fargo’s fifth season ended on a high note.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quibble 
Verb
One can, of course, quibble with some of the choices of important moments.
—Andrew Hindmoor, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
Specialists in particular eras and regions will undoubtedly quibble with some of Scheidel’s assumptions, inferences, and computations.
—Timur Kuran, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
Noun
Complaining that Cheadle’s talents are being wasted on an artificially intelligent Big Bad is an absurd quibble in any context, but especially so when talking about Space Jam, a franchise that pits literal cartoons against grotesque versions of professional basketball players.
—Brian Barrett, WIRED, 24 July 2021
For all my quibbles with the show, Fargo’s fifth season ended on a high note.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quibble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibble
Verb
-
Auto dealers who sell its products have complained that high prices have left inventories piling up.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2024
-
The late-night show cut to footage of Trump speaking at his rallies in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania on Friday and Saturday, respectively, and complaining about people like Rep. Adam Schiff.Michaela Zee, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The political scientist Joseph Nye has argued that these American ideals are a core component of U.S. soft power.Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
-
Eichner argued that building what zoning allowed would mean a market-rate development — that is, condos.Kim Velsey, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
That immediately elicited objections from the South Arkansas Minerals Association, which also objected to the December application, and dozens of other mineral rights owners.Ainsley Platt, arkansasonline.com, 5 Nov. 2024
-
That expansion came over the objection of the court's chief justice at the time.Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
This isn’t to nitpick but to suggest there are deeper questions about the way true crime participates in cultural imaginings of empathy that could be explored even within these productions.Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
-
Expert dealmakers know not to rush or nitpick when bargaining, says the billionaire entrepreneur and investor.Alex Koller, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Milo and Roman are bickering over their shared room, and Justin is eager to celebrate his special day.Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
-
On Monday, after Rodgers and former head coach Robert Saleh had spent several months bickering over topics such as unexcused absences and cadence, the irritable quarterback won out again.Rob Reischel, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
While some parents are fine with sleep training methods that involve lengthy separations from their babies, and a fair amount of crying and fussing, for other parents, these methods just don’t feel right.1 That’s where gentle sleep training come into play.Wendy Wisner, Parents, 17 Sep. 2024
-
Somebody's done all the worrying and fussing for you!Joe Ray, WIRED, 31 Aug. 2024
Verb
-
Prisoners will keep fighting fires, too, with convicts able to win early-release credits on the fire lines.Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
-
Tyson has not fought professionally since losing to Kevin McBride in the sixth round in 2005.Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Biden, peaking on the same day as Harris. Israel, which reached a high in April during a wave of campus protests.Noah Bressner, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Minutes after Netanyahu made the announcement, opposition leaders called for Israelis to take to the streets in protest.Tara John, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near quibble
Cite this Entry
“Quibble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibble. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share