1
as in small
not broad or open in views or opinions
a petty little town that was not ethnically diverse and very happy about the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
obsessed over even petty problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of petty
Bill Bratton, who served as the chief of the New York City Transit Police and then as the city’s police commissioner during the crime peak in the 1990s, explicitly attributed his crackdown on petty crimes, such as graffiti and fare evasion, to Kelling and Wilson.
—
Elizabeth Glazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
The people of Boston don’t want petty politics or scapegoating.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
The advisory also stated that petty crimes — including pickpocketing and burglary — are common.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Set in Gaza in 2007, and following the misadventures of a student (Nader Abd Alhay) and restaurant owner and petty criminal (Majd Eid), the picture premiered in Un Certain Regard last year and won the Best Director prize.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
Elizabeth Glazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
The people of Boston don’t want petty politics or scapegoating.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
The advisory also stated that petty crimes — including pickpocketing and burglary — are common.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Set in Gaza in 2007, and following the misadventures of a student (Nader Abd Alhay) and restaurant owner and petty criminal (Majd Eid), the picture premiered in Un Certain Regard last year and won the Best Director prize.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
-
The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
But as funding from cap-and-invest and the climate bond dwindle, the state must increasingly turn to Cal Fire, which devotes only a small portion of its budget to mitigation work.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Israeli forces seized a 12th-century Crusader castle in southern Lebanon, as Israel intensifies its farthest incursion into the country in 26 years, despite a nominal ceasefire.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
31 May 2026
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Achraf Hakimi, despite his nominal position, rarely plays on the right or at the back, and instead is often high and central as an extra midfielder and to provide the right-winger with underlapping runs.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, the ever-parochial instincts of Chicago, where neighborhood loyalties rule and aldermen are fiercely protective of their ward domains, means the decision on the location of any future Leo landmark could be contentious.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Besides, the budget has a little something for every lawmaker, with about 2,000 parochial projects sprinkled across the state, the vast majority sponsored by Republicans.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The finish is short, with lingering notes of citrus, pepper, and a slight mineral edge.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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That slight tweak—far from the grandiose promise of political revolution—might find power in the voters’ verdict.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie told CNN that rescue divers were teaching the villagers how to dive out of the cave themselves, as the space is narrow and water levels are not coming down despite efforts to pump the water out.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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Delegates to the state conventions don’t mirror the broader electorate, and their candidate selections can often represent more narrow preference of the party base.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
That breadth of integration is not trivial.—
David Chou,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
This is not such a trivial thing.—
Time,
Time,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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More than two months into the season the Red Sox still rank among MLB’s most disappointing clubs, and a wholesale staff purge has done little to change the team’s fortunes.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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But that is likely to matter little in the vote, with the ruling Prosperity Party expected to dominate amid a fragmented opposition and ongoing violence.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
In less trifling hands, there’s no telling what these tools could do, are doing now.—
CHRIS COLIN,
Wired News,
18 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, that global temperature record that DiCaprio mentioned in his acceptance speech in 2016 seems almost trifling compared to what has happened since.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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