cavil 1 of 2

verb

ˈka-vəl How to pronounce cavil (audio)
Definition of cavilnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cavil

2 of 2

noun

as in quibble

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cavil
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
  1. complain
  2. quibble
  3. nitpick
  4. quarrel
  5. fuss
  6. doubt
  7. moan
  8. dispute
Verb
  • Biden complained when the courts blocked his efforts to forgive student loan debt.
    — Graham Underwood, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Fix Problems Many of us like to complain about broken systems, inefficient processes, or other things that annoy us at work.
    — Joseph Liu, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of complain
Noun
  • Conclusion Those are minor quibbles with what is a surprisingly affordable, comfortable and capable all-terrain, long-distance e-bike.
    — William Roberson, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The report found the company to be exceptional, with quibbles so minor that explaining them here would require a crash course in the dense lexicon of climate reporting.
    — Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of quibble
Verb
  • For one, both experts say that being too rigid can also lead to self-sabotaging behaviors, like rejecting otherwise great matches for superficial reasons or coming up with excuses to nitpick things that never mattered before.
    — Jenna Ryu, SELF, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Plus, getting to know each other tends to take priority over nitpicking the small stuff during the whirlwind honeymoon phase.
    — Jenna Ryu, SELF, 24 Jan. 2025
Definition of nitpick
Noun
  • The quarrel swiftly escalated when Perez allegedly struck her twice on the left side of her temple and pulled her hair.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025
  • As the quarrel over seating escalated, the attacker, who was wearing a black face mask, slashed the victim on his left hand with an unknown weapon.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of quarrel
Verb
  • On top of this, her mother and sister are fussing about her future relationship status, which leads to them plotting some dates for her.
    — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The world saw this five-man group as an ideal of friendship, a community working and living together, fussing and fighting but making rough beauty out of it.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
Definition of fuss
Noun
  • If there was any doubt as to De Niro’s greatness, it’s laid to rest in these face-to-face confrontations.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Without a doubt, the perfect way to wrap up a day at Disney is with the fireworks show.
    — Ronny Maye, Essence, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of doubt
Verb
  • Thompson and Nwodim moaned as Gardner said a customer was shot during an argument over Drake and Kendrick.
    — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2025
  • And all that online chatter, all those detractors who keep moaning about the Chiefs playing in the biggest games of the year every year?
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
Definition of moan
Noun
  • In the filing, Village Roadshow framed its ongoing arbitration dispute with Warner Bros. over The Matrix Resurrections as a turning point, effectively ending what had been its most lucrative business arrangement.
    — Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
  • In December 2023, Majors was found guilty of assault and harassment of his former girlfriend, stemming from a domestic dispute that took place in March of that year.
    — Lisa Respers France, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of dispute

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Cite this Entry

“Cavil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavil. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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