Antonyms for catch at straws
| Grammar : Verb |
| Spell : straw |
| Phonetic Transcription : strÉ” |
Definition of catch at straws
Origin :- Old English streaw "stems or stalks of certain cereals," literally "that which is scattered or strewn," related to streowian (see strew), from Proto-Germanic *strawam "that which is scattered" (cf. Old Norse stra, Danish straa, Swedish strå, Old Frisian stre, Old Dutch, Old High German stro, German Stroh "straw"), from PIE *stere- "to spread" (see structure (n.)). The notion is of dried grain stalks strewn on a floor as carpeting or bedding. As a type of what is trifling or unimportant, attested from late 13c. Meaning "hollow tube through which a drink is sucked" is recorded from 1851.
- To draw straws as a means of deciding something is recorded from 1832. The last straw is from the proverb of the camel. Straw poll is from 1932; earlier straw vote (1866). Straw hat first attested mid-15c. To clutch (or grasp or catch) at straws (1748) is what a drowning man proverbially would do.
- As in quibble : verb disagree over minor issues
- As in pettifog : verb quibble
Synonyms for catch at straws
- altercate
- argue over
- argufy
- avoid
- bicker
- blow hot and cold
- carp
- catch at straws
- cavil
- chicane
- criticize
- dispute
- equivocate
- evade
- fence
- flip-flop
- hassle
- have at it
- hem and haw
- hypercriticize
- make a big thing about
- niggle
- nit-pick
- nitpick
- paralogize
- pettifog
- pick to pieces
- pretend
- prevaricate
- put up an argument
- set to
- shift
- spar
- split hairs
- squabble
- talk back
- waffle
- wrangle
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019