caviled

verb

variants or cavilled
past tense of cavil
as in complained
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for caviled
  1. complained
  2. fussed
  3. moaned
Verb
  • For weeks, lawmakers have complained about exorbitant fees for the privilege of attending their own party’s event — with some VIP tickets costing as much as $250,000 and lawmakers having to cough up $25,000 to attend.
    — Daniel Strauss, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Some business owners have complained that the new capital requirement, which surged sixfold, significantly reduced their cash flow, rendering their business unsustainable.
    — Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of complained
Verb
  • If the offensive line’s healthy again, RB Saquon Barkley will ramble again, broadening QB Jalen Hurts’ margin for error and being fussed at by the coaching staff.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 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
Definition of fussed
Verb
  • Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of moaned
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.

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cavil
caviled
caviler
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Cite this Entry

“Caviled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caviled. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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