as in favorite
a person or thing that is preferred over others
the teacher's pet was always getting special privileges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pouts
a state of resentful silence or irritability
the teenager stalked off in a pet after being refused permission to go the movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in beloved
granted special treatment or attention
spent my free time on my pet project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to pat
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
a cat who loves to be petted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pet
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Harm Wildlife If used in a garden, mothballs can expose helpful insects, mammals, pets, and people to harmful chemicals.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
Critics have said Trump is spending too much time and attention on his pet projects and not enough on issues that voters care about, like the cost of living, in the run-up to the November elections.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
Charlotte Maracina, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Passengers can pet and hug the animals.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pet
Noun
The foliage releases an aroma when touched or bruised, so set potted scented geraniums along a walkway where people or pets will brush against them and release their smell.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Harm Wildlife If used in a garden, mothballs can expose helpful insects, mammals, pets, and people to harmful chemicals.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
Adjective
Trevor Frampton owns a feed and pet supply store in Santa Rosa, California, with his wife.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
Critics have said Trump is spending too much time and attention on his pet projects and not enough on issues that voters care about, like the cost of living, in the run-up to the November elections.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
Verb
The best way to remove ticks from your property is to keep up with general yard maintenance, especially around bushes that pets frequently brush up against.
—Charlotte Maracina, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Passengers can pet and hug the animals.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pet
Noun
-
Employees throughout the organization submit ideas for buzzy entertainment properties that might draw newcomers to Fenway before Pollio’s team identifies their favorites.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
-
Big bank stocks, a favorite of Street bulls entering the year, have lagged the S & P 500 by 10 percentage points over the past three months.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Soto’s Marie pouts and squeals with abandon.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Collectively, we’re all obsessed with the perfect pouts created by celebrity makeup artist Nina Park, whose A-list clientele includes Zoë Kravitz, Emma Stone, Hailey Bieber, and more.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Or that Salieri once masturbated over his beloved piano in an unfruitful attempt to cure his writer’s block.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
-
Even so, the coincidence feels like an anointing, long overdue for someone who has spent decades in just about every beloved franchise, quietly establishing himself as the most important—or at least prolific—person in genre entertainment.—
James Grebey,
Time,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Indiana Pacers executive vice president and assistant GM Ted Wu, sitting to Winger’s left, patted Winger on the back.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
And the guy very kindly patted us on the back and said, ‘That’s not how this works.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Fetterman was once a darling of the progressive flank of the Democratic Party in the lead-up to and during his 2022 campaign for Senate.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Reminiscent of the button-down shirt dresses of the 1950s, this darling dress embodies classic charm.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
When a family loses a loved one, the team fills the box with fingerprints, hair locks and heartbeat strips.—
Laura Berrios,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
-
Skeletal remains are air-dried, processed and returned to loved ones as powder in an urn or shaped as stones.—
Dorany Pineda,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
There was only one other visitor, another mother stroking another small head.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
On that bed my mother would stroke my hair and hands.—
Chiara Barzini,
Vogue,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Grubs, the larval stage of beetles such as Japanese beetles and June bugs, are notorious garden pests that feed on the roots of cherished plants and grass.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
8 May 2026
-
With Grace, his cherished daughter, books framed their fleeting bond.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pet. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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