1. to argue over trivial matters or engage in petty legal quibbling
Usage: formal; often derogatory

Examples

• The lawyers continued to pettifog over minor contract details.
• Stop pettifogging and focus on the main issue.
• He tends to pettifog rather than address substantive concerns.
• The committee spent hours pettifogging about procedural rules.
• Don’t pettifog about technicalities when lives are at stake.
• She accused him of pettifogging to avoid making a real decision.