stickle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to argue or haggle insistently, especially on trivial matters.
-
to raise objections; scruple; demur.
verb
-
to dispute stubbornly, esp about minor points
-
to refuse to agree or concur, esp by making petty stipulations
Etymology
Origin of stickle
1520–30; variant of obsolete stightle to set in order, frequentative of stight to set in order, Middle English stighten, Old English stihtan to arrange; cognate with German stiften, Old Norse stētta to set up
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.
See Examples For:
Classicists from Nick's, who stickle for the traditions of the Chicago Style, nodded their heads in austere approval.
From Time Magazine Archive
Meanwhile in London His Majesty's Government continued to stickle for the oath in a sharp note to the Irish Free State, so sharp that last week neither sender nor receiver would divulge the contents.
From Time Magazine Archive
You called my court’s love worthless—so it turned: I threw away as dross my heap of wealth, And here you stickle for a piece or two!
From Dramatic Technique by George Pierce Baker
Browne's Pastoral, "The Squirrel Hunt," we read of— "Patient anglers, standing all the day Near to some shallow stickle, or deep bay."
"But you did stickle about words an hour ago," said Mr. Hempstead, with some severity.
From Jennie Baxter, Journalist by Robert Barr
Sawkins' men taunted him with "backwardness" in that engagement, and "stickled not to defame, or brand him with the note of cowardice."
From On the Spanish Main Or, Some English forays on the Isthmus of Darien. by John Masefield
You may remember, Sam, that your poor father always stickled for a roast leg of lamb at Easter.
From Shining Ferry by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
"You may even say, My Lord," replied Athos, who stickled for propriety.
From The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas père
The widow Bevis indeed stickled hard for me.
From Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 5 by Samuel Richardson
"Ten to one as a County magnate he stickled for it, and the High Sheriff put him on the panel to keep him amused."
From Lady Good-for-Nothing by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
The film, which was made largely with a $20,000 grant from the Wikimedia Foundation, spends time showing what has been lost to Wikipedia because of stickling rules of citation and verification.
From New York Times ● Aug. 8, 2011
After the "Schweinehund Speech," however, it was clear that Briand and Poincare are one in stickling for cash.
From Time Magazine Archive
Call it by another name, then—if you prefer stickling about terms.
From The Finger of Fate A Romance by Mayne Reid
I really think I could give you a commission without much stickling of my conscience.
From Vivian Grey by Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield
Perhaps it is in order to compensate for our laxity of interpretation upon these points that we are so rigid in stickling for accuracy upon those which make no demand upon our comfort or convenience?
From The Fair Haven by R. A. (Richard Alexander) Streatfeild
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