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
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Recent Examples of pet
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Additionally, all parts of the plant are highly toxic if ingested, posing a risk to pets, children, and wildlife.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 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
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Each visit lasts roughly an hour and a half, with handlers guiding the animals through terminal and entrance areas while passengers pet, hug and yes, kiss them.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pet
Noun
This pet might have been adopted before publication.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Additionally, all parts of the plant are highly toxic if ingested, posing a risk to pets, children, and wildlife.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 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
Passengers can pet and hug the animals.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Each visit lasts roughly an hour and a half, with handlers guiding the animals through terminal and entrance areas while passengers pet, hug and yes, kiss them.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pet
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
-
Gonzalez, who was wearing a blue, button-up shirt and khaki pants, patted the back of his attorney, Jude Faccidomo.—
Grethel Aguila,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Gonzalez, who was wearing a blue button up-shirt and khaki pants, patted the back of his attorney, Jude Faccidomo.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 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
-
In her first varsity at-bat the next day against Lincoln-Way Central, Krauchun stroked a single up the middle.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Ferrer then went back to the sinker, placed the 98 mph pitch on the outside edge of the plate and Merrill stroked it to left, clearing the bases for a walk-off win in front the remnants of a sellout crowd of 46,095.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nestled in western North Carolina between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this cherished piece of the Tar Heel State includes picturesque Sylva, historic Dillsboro, and the beloved 200-year-old resort community of Cashiers.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
-
For many Black Americans, the decision was a death knell for a cherished pillar of the Civil Rights Movement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Grudda pushed Barkow's wheelchair through the zoo, her hands caressing her mother's shoulders or pointing out the animals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Electric Bleu is French food caressed with California seasonality and the occasional pop of Aussie nostalgia.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
New episodes of Funny AF were released over the course of three weeks, culminating with the semi-final and finale airing live, during which viewers around the world were able to vote in real time for their favorite comic.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Some of your favorite musical artists are sitting this tour cycle out.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Yet, amid all this anthropological interest in male behavior, a world beloved by men that is organized around the legacy of kings and a single precious metal has been hiding in plain sight, like a white Wakanda.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Despite taking the overall checkered flag in 1995, the automaker has precious little experience at the famous race.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pet. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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