pettifogging

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.

Experts were doubtful from the start of his pettifogging that he had reasonable grounds to bail out.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2022

But the vast majority of our elected representatives overruled the pettifogging legalisms of Kennedy and the others.

From Washington Times • Jan. 13, 2021

The word is so seldom used that Google Ngrams, which measures the frequency that words appear in books and journals, shows that "pettifogging" peaked in 1900, but has gradually disappeared.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2020

In a similar spirit, there is a rule stating that instruction creep should be avoided and that pettifogging is not welcome.

From Slate • Jun. 22, 2014

And to begin with, look what a pull Cromwell had over Pym—the one name full of a resonant imperialism, the other mean, pettifogging, and unheroic to a degree.

From Business English A Practice Book by Buhlig, Rose