petty
Example Sentences
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She has moved up the ladder, representing clients facing charges ranging from petty theft to homicide as well as special-circumstances cases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Set in a fictional trailer park in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, Trailer Park Boys follows the adventures of three longtime friends and petty criminals.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Another option, something Briffault admits is petty but has been done before, is to slash the salaries of people at the agency responsible for the unlawful behavior, or even folks who worked on it.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
My doctor said he would retest my levels in a couple of weeks to be sure it wasn’t a mistake, which frankly seemed petty to me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
No, she was tired of being a minor lady, waiting to be married off to the highest bidder, tired of petty politics and easily manipulated fools.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
“If I find him annoying, that means that maybe I’m going to come in a little bit pettier than usual,” says Martin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2024
Listen, I’m sure there will be a lot of sturm und drang about what the whistleblower disclosures mean for Elon Musk’s Twitter deal, but I want to focus on something dumber and pettier: Jack Dorsey.
From The Verge ● Aug. 23, 2022
But because Doncic is an NBA all-star, his true intent probably was pettier — an insinuation that the refs were on the Suns’ payroll.
From Washington Post ● May 10, 2022
It’s a juicy lineup of familiar characters who are greedier and pettier than those that usually populate historical epics.
From New York Times ● Oct. 13, 2021
Those who have true love known and tried, Have every pettier want defied; They nestle, and, beneath the storm, In their own love lie snug and warm.
From Fables of John Gay (Somewhat Altered) by John Gay
It’s elementary: Characters can do outlandish things, commit outrageous crimes, be inspired by the pettiest of motives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
Furst insisted no topic is off the table, from the pettiest accusation to the most serious charge.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
Apparently in the pettiest manner imaginable, judging by Monday morning’s episode of Fox & Friends.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2019
Voters overwhelmingly approved the change to the three-strikes law, swayed in part by tales of inmates with nonviolent histories serving life terms for the pettiest of crimes, such as stealing a pair of socks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2014
Yes, Ralph, because you are young, and have never seen what even the pettiest war means, not even the bright side, with its chivalry and panoply, and gay show.
From The Black Tor A Tale of the Reign of James the First by W. S. (Walter S.) Stacey
Vocabulary lists containing petty
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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I Am Malala
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Even More Negative Words to Describe a Person
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