as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
you know it drives me crazy when you niggle like that
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in quibble
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in qualm
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of niggle
Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 18 Jan. 2026
Later though, the conversation niggled at me.
—Rachel Linden, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The last thing new parents need is an injury or niggle, but for those who are keen to start clocking up the miles, a new study offers some surprising reassurance: running with a stroller may actually lower the risk of injury.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Verb
Car buyers who want to limit in-person negotiating, or at least that niggling feeling that a dealership is pulling one over on them, might be soothed by an internet full of information.
—Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 18 Jan. 2026
Later though, the conversation niggled at me.
—Rachel Linden, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
All this came without Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, absent with a hip problem and a niggle, respectively, which underlines the depth Arsenal did not have in previous title challenges.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The last thing new parents need is an injury or niggle, but for those who are keen to start clocking up the miles, a new study offers some surprising reassurance: running with a stroller may actually lower the risk of injury.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggle
Verb
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Elsewhere, Super Mario Galaxy is hardly complaining about coming in second ruling the roost for weeks, since it’s now focused on becoming the first film of the year to join the billion-dollar club after finishing Sunday with a global total of $871 million.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
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Commenters who never have been — and never will go — complain about the cost, the influencers, the hype.—
Andrea Domanick,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One small quibble — in Greece, a classic salad does not contain lettuce.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
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Despite my quibbles with how her character reacts when things really go awry, Kiri’s Evy has a clarity of purpose that holds our attention despite not having that much to do.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After Friday, Johnson should have no qualms about playing his two rookies together anymore.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Apr. 2026
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The coach has no qualms about dropping him back into the lineup versus the Stars.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The crime went unsolved for many years, prompting Mason to start making this movie in the early 2000s, and the immediate conclusion to jump to is that the LAPD maybe wasn’t too fussed about it.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kelly said a decision to release surveillance footage despite investigators’ objections became a lasting distraction.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Coleman decided to blend Italian cooking with barbecue cooking by introducing BBQ spaghetti—in spite of her mother’s objections.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some patients on chlorpromazine developed mild tremors or tics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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Some of the common symptoms that impact movement include tremors in one or both hands, stiffness (also known as rigidity), slow movements and balance problems.—
Mary Eber,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The key point here is to be fast, be clear and treat challenges as rare events for obvious misses, not some sort of default setting for nitpicking.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
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That meant making some hard choices and nitpicking reasons for why one place shouldn't be included.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Their immediate challenge is that the ruling came down well after filing deadlines for this year’s primary elections — and in some cases, after those primary elections have been held.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Issue One, an advocacy group tracking redistricting nationwide, said changing maps for 2026 could be difficult because many states have already held primaries and legal challenges would place significant obstacles before the general election.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggle. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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