Cavil
Etymology
From Latin cavillari, "to jeer, scoff, quibble," from cavilla, "jesting, raillery, mockery." The root sense of banter and scoffing hardened into the modern meaning: not honest disagreement but the reflex of picking at minor flaws.
verb · /KAV-il/
To raise trivial, nitpicking objections.
What it names
The exact verb for petty fault-finding — quibbling over small points to seem critical, or to avoid engaging with the real argument.
Example
Instead of addressing the proposal, the committee caviled over its font and margins.
Related idea
Critique engages with the substance of a thing; to cavil is to fuss over trifles while dodging that substance.