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Synonyms

nit-pick

British  

verb

  1. informal to raise petty objections or concern oneself with insignificant details

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When the result is far more important than the performance, it would be churlish to nit-pick too much.

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2025

If anything, one might nit-pick Mr. Youngkin for saying something so bland and obvious that it fails to define who he is as a political candidate.

From Washington Times • Sep. 30, 2021

He got a fourth-round grade by NFL talent evaluators last December and, sure, scouts will nit-pick his size in the buildup to the 2019 draft.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2018

Isn’t this system’s purpose to prevent miscarriages of justice — not to nit-pick?

From Washington Post • Mar. 7, 2014

Such issues should be debated, Hadid argues, "not to nit-pick, but because it affects the amount of light and shadow in the city."

From The Guardian • Feb. 17, 2013