as in complained
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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Recent Examples of nitpicked
Pride & Prejudice was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $120 million worldwide, though some nitpicked at the film for not being entirely accurate to Jane Austen’s original book.
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Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicked
Verb
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So much that theaters complained.—
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Opponents at the meeting complained about the loss of privacy, traffic congestion and the lack of parking, and said the project by now was supposed to include retail and commercial elements that create a thriving town center.—
Verb
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Dunst doesn’t get fussed about that sort of thing.—
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Others might tell you that hosting an awards show is a thankless gig, but Bargatze doesn’t seem fussed.—
Verb
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Those specific numbers can obviously be quibbled with.—
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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.—
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.—
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Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.—
Verb
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No less than a half-dozen GOP senators publicly criticized the Department of Justice for investigating Powell over Hill testimony last year about the Fed headquarters’ renovation.—
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The federal government has stepped up operations in Chicago and the Twin Cities, both Democratic strongholds, during the fall and local officials have criticized them for sowing chaos and confusion.—
Cite this Entry
“Nitpicked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicked. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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