quibbled

past tense of quibble

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quibbled
Verb
  • Some bettors have complained about customer service and payout issues being unresolved due to difficulties reaching a live person.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Colorado officials report that more than 100 people across Boulder County have also complained to the Federal Communications Commission.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The two of them together, just 17 months apart, shared playlists, bickered over where to stop during Apple CarPlay calls, pulled up beside me and faded away with silly faces, encapsulating 20 years of my life in my rearview mirror.
    — Robert Duffer, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • King bickered with fans on social media.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
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
Verb
  • When people have little relief from stress in a chaotic environment, their brains have difficulty coping with the ongoing prediction errors, Friston, McEwen and neuroscientist Achim Peters argued in a 2017 article.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Consumer advocates have argued that digital labels could eventually be used for surge pricing or personalized pricing.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
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
Verb
  • Between these endpoints of hate and love came an hour-long C-SPAN broadcast, on November 30, 1993, in which the men quarrelled, teased, and fielded calls.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In Krisevich’s case, Konovalova repeatedly quarreled with the artist and his wife until the couple ultimately escaped Russia in December 2025.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The camera then cut to McCarthy, who muttered a profanity in response.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Heti stared at the drawing in front of her and muttered whatever under her breath.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In contrast, the ad says Desmond fought to lower costs and supports suspending the gas tax.
    — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In the case of Yemen, the ground fighters inside the country who are taking on the Houthis are deeply divided and fought each other as recently as January.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quibbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quibbled. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster