as in favorites
a person or thing that is preferred over others
the teacher's pet was always getting special privileges
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pats
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 pets
Jon Ostenson, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Enjoy this dog-friendly, 21+ event to support shelter pets featuring local breweries and beverage vendors, with food bites available for purchase and live music.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Fleas can pass the bacteria that causes typhus to pets and people, according to the California Department of Public Health.
—Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
Keep pets, which swim erratically, out of the water.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
In addition, pets, vehicles and bicycles are not allowed within 25 feet of protection areas.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2026
Furniture, pets, and the residents themselves infuse the images with both ambiguity and meaning, creating a rich mosaic of city life across ages, backgrounds, and boroughs.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Emily Adams, a PetSmart public relations specialist, said the Ramona store will span about 17,000 square feet and contain an assortment of pet care essentials for cats, dogs, fish, birds, reptiles and small pets.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
But the market often relies on cruelty and abuse, some species are rare or endangered in the wild, and wild animals are, after all, wild animals who aren't suitable to keep as pets.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 18 May 2026
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
This method creates a durable, washable bed that pets love.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
Transmission most often occurs when people or pets ingest food or water contaminated with raccoon feces.
—Amy Corral, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Transmission most often occurs when people or pets ingest food or water contaminated with raccoon feces.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Participants dress head-to-toe in pink tutus and wigs, pets sport pink ribbons, and there’s even a Pink Soup Parade, complete with stilt walkers, marching bands, and dancers.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025
Feed pets indoors whenever possible.
—Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Dec. 2025
Adoptable pets with black fur are less likely to be adopted, an article from Adopt a Report found.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Noun
However, today’s candidates are often more interested in opportunities that exist in other arenas, such as home services, health and wellness, business-to-business (B2B) services and categories likes seniors and pets.
—Jon Ostenson, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Enjoy this dog-friendly, 21+ event to support shelter pets featuring local breweries and beverage vendors, with food bites available for purchase and live music.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Fleas can pass the bacteria that causes typhus to pets and people, according to the California Department of Public Health.
—Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
Keep pets, which swim erratically, out of the water.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
In addition, pets, vehicles and bicycles are not allowed within 25 feet of protection areas.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2026
Furniture, pets, and the residents themselves infuse the images with both ambiguity and meaning, creating a rich mosaic of city life across ages, backgrounds, and boroughs.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Emily Adams, a PetSmart public relations specialist, said the Ramona store will span about 17,000 square feet and contain an assortment of pet care essentials for cats, dogs, fish, birds, reptiles and small pets.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
But the market often relies on cruelty and abuse, some species are rare or endangered in the wild, and wild animals are, after all, wild animals who aren't suitable to keep as pets.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Verb
Feed pets indoors, remove birdseed, and avoid feeding squirrels.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 18 May 2026
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
This method creates a durable, washable bed that pets love.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
Transmission most often occurs when people or pets ingest food or water contaminated with raccoon feces.
—Amy Corral, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Transmission most often occurs when people or pets ingest food or water contaminated with raccoon feces.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Participants dress head-to-toe in pink tutus and wigs, pets sport pink ribbons, and there’s even a Pink Soup Parade, complete with stilt walkers, marching bands, and dancers.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025
Feed pets indoors whenever possible.
—Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Dec. 2025
Adoptable pets with black fur are less likely to be adopted, an article from Adopt a Report found.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pets
Noun
-
My favorites include cargo pants, baggy jeans, palazzo pants, and linen pants from brands like Gap, Lands’ End, and Z Supply, starting at $28.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
-
Anything Oprah repeatedly praises immediately piques my interest, but even more so when her favorites are podiatrist favorites.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Mama pats Rafa’s head then ruffles his hair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Tuanzebe buries his head in Bakambu’s neck and pats his back repeatedly.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
What a week indie-disco darlings The Killers have ahead of them.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
-
The energy and bustle of Harvard Square balances top shops—Ray Bans, Gap, Patagonia—with indie darlings like romance bookstore Lovestruck Books and Bob Slate Stationer.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
And through all this, Saariaho’s elaborately beautiful orchestration scintillates, jabs, caresses, and swerves, giving all that vivid misery a sheen of lyric glamour.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
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Also starring Jack Palance and Fritz Lang, the behind-the-scenes drama about the making of a movie begins with Bardot lying nude on a bed as her husband (Michel Piccoli) caresses and praises her body.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
When Robbie first strokes the plush walls, her Cathy stares with the appropriate mix of awe and terror.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself.—
Kristine Hansen,
Architectural Digest,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pets. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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