hairsplitting

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.

But Oedipus is in no mood for academic hairsplitting.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025

These arguably hairsplitting thoughts nagged at me thanks to my job as a congressional correspondent focused on federal spending.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024

Now comes another occasion for jurisprudential hairsplitting about contacts between the government and religious schools.

From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2021

They generally involve rephrasing the accusation, then issuing a very narrowly-crafted and hairsplitting denial, while avoiding the central claim.

From Salon • Nov. 21, 2019

It was fine legal reasoning, not without some of that hairsplitting for which Jefferson reproached Randolph.

From Thomas Jefferson The Apostle of Americanism by Chinard, Gilbert