pettifog
verb·/ˈpɛt.i.fɒɡ/
Quibble or haggle over petty details, especially in a legalistic way; to obscure substance with trivia. Pettifogging is precision weaponized, small points used to stall or win.
He pettifogged over commas and definitions until the meeting forgot what problem it had come to solve.
noun
Petty, caviling argumentation; small-minded legal maneuvering (rare).
The case should have been simple, but it drowned in pettifog and procedural spite.
Etymology
From early modern English, combining petty with an element suggesting "fog" in the sense of muddling or chaff. The word itself is a sneer, making the act sound small and dirty.
Related Words
cavilraise petty objections
quibbleargue on minor points
sophistryspecious reasoning; grander than pettifogging
hair-splittingidiomatic equivalent