1
as in complained
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 bickered
to express different opinions about something often angrily
don't quibble over who gets to sit in front
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quibbled
The story that’s being quibbled about concerns a teen suicide.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
During a debate Tuesday, some lawmakers quibbled over whether the bill would infringe on the free market.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Some trustees saw the enforcement approach as reasonable and quibbled with the details, while others wanted Wilmette to go much further in its restrictions.
—Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Those specific numbers can obviously be quibbled with.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
That trove included more than 300 black-and-white photographs, shared via JSTOR, which capture both Lulu the woman and Lulu the clown, though Lulu would have quibbled with the distinction.
—April White, JSTOR Daily, 18 Aug. 2025
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
During a debate Tuesday, some lawmakers quibbled over whether the bill would infringe on the free market.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Some trustees saw the enforcement approach as reasonable and quibbled with the details, while others wanted Wilmette to go much further in its restrictions.
—Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Those specific numbers can obviously be quibbled with.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
That trove included more than 300 black-and-white photographs, shared via JSTOR, which capture both Lulu the woman and Lulu the clown, though Lulu would have quibbled with the distinction.
—April White, JSTOR Daily, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibbled
Verb
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But Republicans have long complained that Democrats have used the law to get winnable districts for their Black voters in red states that Republican-leaning white voters could never receive in blue states.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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This poll also marks the fifth straight year Americans complained things are getting worse, not better.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rollins and Breakker bickered over who was responsible for Breakker’s success.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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The pair have famously bickered over the past 20 years.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Dunst doesn’t get fussed about that sort of thing.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Both France and Padres manager Craig Stammen argued the call and replays seemed to clearly show the base of the ball was entirely in foul ground.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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The trust has said that recognizes the need for a larger meeting space at the White House, but argued that only Congress could authorize it.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
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Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.—
Lauren Caruba,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On Thursday, the Miami City Commission deferred voting on two commissioners’ requests to fund affordable housing and parks in their districts after officials quarreled over which areas in the city have the most pressing needs, an argument that cut to the core of the wealth divide in Miami.—
Tess Riski
April 10,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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Budapest, which has quarreled with its EU partners over support for Ukraine and Russian oil deliveries, has also blocked a 90 billion euro ($103 billion) loan as Kyiv runs low on cash.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
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But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The war with Iran is now the second major conflict to demonstrate that the age of mass drone warfare has fully arrived — and with it, a fundamental shift in how conflicts are fought.—
Alexander Benard,
Washington Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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Over 40 Illinois municipalities have since adopted these harmful policies, while many simultaneously fought to prevent social service providers from helping people survive and transition out of homelessness.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quibbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbled. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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