split hairs

Cultural  

1. To argue about an inconsequential and trivial aspect of an issue: “When you are accused of being forty-five minutes late for an appointment, you are splitting hairs to say that you were really only forty minutes late.”

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split hairs Idioms  

1. Make trivial distinctions, quibble, as in Let's not split hairs about whose turn it is; I'll close up today and you do it tomorrow. This metaphoric idiom transfers dividing so fine an object as a single hair to other petty divisions. [Second half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

split hairs

Given the bottlenecks, data centers might care more about speed than split hairs about cost.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025

It might sound pedantic to split hairs about the conspiracy theories that drive extremists like Mohn to do despicable things.

From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2024

If you give scientists enough caffeine or other kinds of beverages, you can split hairs about, was that the perfect metaphor?

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2022

A clear-eyed overview of the nuclear industry and the Japanese disaster doesn’t split hairs over the risk: It can happen here.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2022

“I mean, wouldn’t you have wanted to meet him, if you’d been alive back then. Way to split hairs, Izzy.”

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng