as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
caviled for hours about a single sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in quibble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of cavil
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cavil
Verb
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On the day of Modi’s visit, Mishra complained to him about the government’s failure to prevent cities and towns from dumping raw sewage into the Ganges.Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
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Smith described Lockett as a consummate professional and great human being while also expressing his appreciation for Lockett’s willingness to play his part without complaining about _targets.Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Gilded Age Season 3 (HBO) TBA Julian Fellowes’ The Gilded Age, set in late-1800s New York, proves that great drama can be found anywhere, even in high-society quibbles over who has the superior opera house.Lucy Ford, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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Pocono one month earlier (June 22) No quibbles with this, other than the three most recent races being in July have seen fantastic turnouts at a rejuvenated track.Jeff Gluck, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024
Verb
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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
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Or perhaps division, as outsiders begin to nitpick the juggernaut and single out which players are most important to the pursuit.Kyle Tucker, The Athletic, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
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The heads of corporate branding cook up a brief, a design firm answers with a litany of slides, and, after iterations, interventions, and internal quarrels, the sign arrives in the physical plane, with glossy acrylic letterforms and antiseptic light.Laura Preston, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
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The key is to keep communication clear and avoid overreacting to petty quarrels and misunderstandings.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Not all Cybertruck owners will be too fussed about that, though.Carlton Reid, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2024
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The gizmo also includes haptic alerts that can wake you—but not your partner—if your child is fussing.Chris Stokel-Walker, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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There’s a lot to like about the room, but the highlight, without a doubt, is a sitting area overlooking the garden that doubles as the best seat for the Noh stage.Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Jan. 2025
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However, there is little doubt that the storm will not materialize in the Kansas City area.Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Jasmine moans with pleasure as Gino traces her legs with his tongue.Abigail Adams, People.com, 22 Dec. 2024
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Many of the patients were critically ill and moaning in pain from broken bones, head gashes and other injuries blamed on Tropical Storm Helene.Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The dispute originated with a recurring issue in the River Valley when strong odors are emitted from a biowaste storage lagoon in the Arkansas River bottom in Crawford County.Penny Weaver, arkansasonline.com, 2 Jan. 2025
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The neighbor whose property disputes require legal intervention rather than friendly conversation.Nik Ershov, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to cavil
Thesaurus Entries Near cavil
Cite this Entry
“Cavil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavil. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
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