as in crime
a small mistake or fault that is not regarded as very bad or serious
His political career was marked by numerous peccadillos, but no huge scandals.
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Recent Examples of peccadillo
But as the capital merry-go-round spun its peccadilloes, scandals and ballyhooed promises, his jaunty baritone restored order with bipartisan japes and irreverent songs to deflate the preening ego and the Big Idea. Presidents from Eisenhower to Trump caught the flak.
—
Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
What if the new boss’ weird peccadilloes — Patoff abolishes work-from-home, abruptly fires a staffer whose smell displeases him and thinks nothing of making 3 a.m. phone calls and demands — escalate?
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2023
He’s simply been willing to overlook a peccadillo or two if the guy’s good enough.
—Dallas News, 20 Feb. 2023
Sadly, performance and build quality didn’t live up to the promise, and fewer than 9,000 units were made by the time the entire operation was shuttered following John DeLorean’s white-powder peccadillo.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for peccadillo
Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
What if the new boss’ weird peccadilloes — Patoff abolishes work-from-home, abruptly fires a staffer whose smell displeases him and thinks nothing of making 3 a.m. phone calls and demands — escalate?
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2023
He’s simply been willing to overlook a peccadillo or two if the guy’s good enough.
—Dallas News, 20 Feb. 2023
Sadly, performance and build quality didn’t live up to the promise, and fewer than 9,000 units were made by the time the entire operation was shuttered following John DeLorean’s white-powder peccadillo.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for peccadillo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peccadillo
Noun
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Last month, her government unveiled a legal reform allowing the deportation of foreigners who have been sentenced to at least one year of unconditional imprisonment for serious crimes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Sometimes a provider’s NPI is used without their knowledge or consent, a crime known as NPI theft that is commonly committed to facilitate Medicaid fraud.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Industry guidance from Innovative Toll Solutions says common errors include misread license plates, toll tags that aren’t properly registered, duplicate transactions, or system glitches.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Feb. 2026
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Duran, who is in contention for a roster spot, had two iffy throws defensively in attempts to get a pair of speedy runners out, though neither were technically ruled an error.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Since the intoxication allegation came to light, the Phan brothers’ attorneys have filed motions to hold an evidentiary hearing to learn more about the crash and to dismiss their case all together for potential prosecutorial misconduct.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
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But Gonzales is now contending with misconduct allegations involving a staffer who later died by suicide.—
Hunter Woodall,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Uthmeier has denied wrongdoing and claimed victory in defeating the amendments.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
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Neither man has yet been charged, and both deny wrongdoing, but should police investigations proceed to prosecution, this vague and complex offence could be challenging for lawyers to prove.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Reading Nicholas Mosley’s nonfiction reveals a writer concerned with the sins of the past, with political maneuvering at the highest levels of government, and of personal and ideological betrayals.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
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Robert Bresson, in seeking the essence of sin and grace in the slightest gesture, largely eschewed professionals in order to distill performance to embodiment.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Peccadillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peccadillo. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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