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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Actresses of a certain age are henceforth barred from investigating crimes on TV.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Gatewood had been tasked with overseeing the Johnson administration's efforts to address the root causes of crime and violence in Chicago and coming up with a plan for public safety.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Republicans have a tiny majority in the House, but a larger margin for error in the Senate, except for the filibuster.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Simply put, if a human operator senses something is going wrong, the robot should react before the error escalates.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Their first trial had ended in a hung during, and the second has been delayed twice as an investigation grows around alleged misconduct from a State Police officer who investigated their case.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Democrats have sought to require body cameras and judicial warrants for arrests, forbid the use of masks and expand the ability to sue DHS for alleged misconduct.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As part of the settlement, the sheriff's office did not admit any wrongdoing.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The Tribune is not naming him because he has not been charged with any wrongdoing related to the blaze.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The tale of Eve being blamed for the sin of man in the Garden of Eden was also a strong inspiration.—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
-
McNair spoke, unsuccessfully, before an Alabama Legislature that wanted to limit how schools teach events, such as the bombing that killed her sister, lest White children feel guilt for the sins of their forebears.—
John Archibald,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Peccadillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peccadillo. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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