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

But then Team Gorsuch began nitpicking and hairsplitting, and now the story seems relevant.

From Washington Post • Jan. 21, 2022

Andy: See, this is what I mean: the smooth fox terrier and the wire fox terrier just feels like hairsplitting.

From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2020

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

But, to avoid hairsplitting, what we call "modern" English literature may be said to date from about 1885.

From Modern British Poetry by Untermeyer, Louis