Definition of nitpicknext
as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant her husband nitpicks about everything: from how she puts the plates away to how she files the bills

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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 nitpick And the backdrop of worldwide unrest and escalating nuclear threat is subtle to a fault, though that’s just nitpicking. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026 Diehards nitpicked pointless details like Bond's hair color as an excuse to dismiss the whole experiment. Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026 While there are always things to nitpick in the style of play and execution, Wells is laser-focused on the way his players carry themselves as the Rapids enter a 60-day break between games for the World Cup. Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 24 May 2026 Though who had time to nitpick, when there were floor-to-ceiling windows and a wide balcony that faced the sea? Ada Calhoun, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for nitpick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpick
Verb
  • The sport is now on TV every night of the week these days—and unlike some traditionalists, football-loving families aren’t complaining.
    Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Undermining an alliance Coupang is not the first American company to complain of targeting by South Korean regulators.
    Justin Papp, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • If the difference between these positions seems far too minor to quibble over, that is, in part, the point.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • The debtor might quibble over the language of the charging order, but that's about it.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at.
    Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 7 Oct. 2020
Verb
  • The eagles fuss obsessively with their habitat, waddling around on their huge, scaly reptilian feet, moving sticks to and fro with their bony beaks.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Five-month-old Ladoo fusses in a hammock made from an old scarf.
    Diaa Hadid, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Endo is the sixth choice midfielder and someone who never moans about his place in the pecking order.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Hall wrote in his report that Hamilton lay down in the backseat of the police vehicle, moaning and not responding, prompting first responders to give him Narcan.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Nitpick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpick. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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