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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of petty
It will be diminished by the petty beak-wetting, the price to get out of the way of a Skydance-Paramount Global deal that seems the best thing for Hollywood.
—
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 14 July 2025
Without wanting to trivialize egregious breaches of sovereignty like the invasion of Ukraine, most are undeniably petty.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 July 2025
Shameful to once again put the president's petty interests over the needs of Americans.
—Hollie Silverman
andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
The disappearance of dozens of shopping carts, the closure of self-checkout lanes, and a visible rise in shoplifting, panhandling, loitering and petty crime left customers, managers and officials at City Hall all trading blame.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 14 July 2025
Without wanting to trivialize egregious breaches of sovereignty like the invasion of Ukraine, most are undeniably petty.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 July 2025
Shameful to once again put the president's petty interests over the needs of Americans.
—Hollie Silverman
andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
The disappearance of dozens of shopping carts, the closure of self-checkout lanes, and a visible rise in shoplifting, panhandling, loitering and petty crime left customers, managers and officials at City Hall all trading blame.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
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Going directly from cooking inside the house and only trying my own food to trying small restaurants and traveling within a week’s span was a blessing.—
Kenneth J. Williams Jr,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
On a sunny morning in late June, his exercise regimen began with small steps: His right foot keeping pace with the treadmill, his left foot stationary, off to the side.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The macro hasn't changed: chronic fiscal deficits, an eventual glide lower in real rates if nominal cuts meet sticky inflation, and incentives to keep liquidity flowing.—
Bob Haber,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Yet meticulous planning means that there is always a nuanced plan — 4-3-3 is his nominal starting formation, but individual roles are tweaked depending on the opposition.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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South suburban committee members, meanwhile, showed parochial loyalty to Kelly.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2025
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In a chamber fraught with parochial interests and personalities in spades, the sprint to finish this by the July 4 holiday is going to be clipped.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Rivera pushed through her routine, adapting to slight errors and fighting for the landing on the dismount.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
-
Sure, there’s a slight flirtation revolving around the ability to talk to horses and a riff about hiding away from potential suitors, but the chemistry sizzles off the screen.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Career growth inside companies still follows a narrow script—progress often defined by vertical movement alone.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
In 2024, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Apache Stronghold in a narrow 6-5 decision.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This makes perfect sense as some expectations, especially trivial and old-fashioned etiquette, are no longer relevant in today's modern world.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
29 July 2025
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And nothing’s too trivial, including comparing his inauguration attendance with that of President Barack Obama.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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The star of the dish, the lobster, was very simple, with very little mayo and other fuss mixed in to distract from the quality of the fish.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
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While taking home little to no paycheck within the first few years can be common among small business owners, said Kevin Ketels, the tricky balancing act child care owners play to maintain profitability is not.—
Beki San Martin,
Freep.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Talk of mounting nuclear readiness towards Russia, which has more atomic weapons than any other country in the world, could overshadow more trifling domestic matters, like the Epstein scandal, for instance.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 Aug. 2025
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Pixar has long stood out by bringing something less trifling to theatergoing families.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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