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
-
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On the ground, first responders described how Watch Duty’s real-time wildfire mapping and alert app has become indispensable when fast-moving fires leave little room for hesitation or error.—
Erin Hill,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
This story has been updated to correct an error.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Its investigative arm reviews officer misconduct complaints, and is expected to one day replace the police department’s internal affairs division.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The panel assessed the LAPD’s handling of discipline, misconduct complaints, excessive force by officers and other issues.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Washington Post reported that its journalist was not accused of wrongdoing and that the outlet received a subpoena related to the investigation into Perez-Lugones.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
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Hayes was not charged with any wrongdoing.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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These are the words of someone determined not to repeat their father’s sins, someone who wants to be a little different than what a lot of the world might expect of a player with his unique brand of raw power and athleticism.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Except, apparently, among the Hoosiers who play football as if not playing football hard would be an unforgivable sin.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Peccadillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peccadillo. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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