Quibbled

To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter; to find fault or criticize, often over insignificant details. It implies a petty form of dispute, focusing on minor points rather than the core issue. The act of quibbling can be a delaying tactic, a way to avoid addressing the central concern, or simply a reflection of a personality prone to nitpicking. It can damage relationships and hinder progress. A quibble is a petty complaint or objection. The term usually refers to a person that is argumentative about unimportant issues.

Quibbled meaning with examples

• Instead of discussing the budget's critical impact, the committee quibbled over the font size used in the presentation slides, frustrating the stakeholders and delaying the vital decisions. Everyone thought it was completely unnecessary. That's not the important matter at hand.
• The lawyer constantly quibbled over word choices and phrasing during the contract negotiation, trying to find any loophole in the agreement, much to the annoyance of the other parties involved. The other party just wanted to close the deal.
• The children quibbled about whose turn it was to pick the movie, arguing over irrelevant details like who had chosen last time. Their parents eventually told them both to be quiet. They just wanted a quiet evening.
• After receiving his evaluation, the employee quibbled about the wording of a minor comment rather than addressing his performance shortcomings. The manager just sighed and told him to return when he'd thought about it.