argue pointlessly; pass the buck
Meanings
2 senses · 8 examplesverb
to bicker pointlessly; to argue over trivial matters without principle
informalOften implies arguing for the sake of arguing, without meaningful progress. Used to describe petty disputes.
Alright, let's stop bickering and get back to the main topic.
They kept arguing pointlessly during the meeting, wasting everyone's time.
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There's no need to bicker over this issue; let's all compromise a little.
There are always people arguing over trivial matters in the parent chat group.
verb
to pass the buck; to engage in bureaucratic wrangling
neutralOften used to describe inefficient bureaucratic or organizational behavior where responsibility is shirked.
Due to several departments passing the buck, this issue still hasn't been resolved.
This project is progressing slowly, mainly because of constant internal bureaucratic wrangling.
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Don't pass the buck to me; you're responsible for this matter.
The government document took half a year to be approved, all because various departments were shirking responsibility.