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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preen
Most of those preening peacocks would auction off family members to get a national news hit.
—
Mark R. Weaver, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
While many of the viral videos show the kids palling around and preening, the former squad members say they were often pushed too far.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Location The placement of a birdbath is important, because a bird that is bathing or that has just bathed and is preening is vulnerable to predators.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2025
By coincidence, Emhoff spoke to Georgetown Law School students shortly before a preening Trump announced Willkie Farr’s surrender on social media.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preen
Mark R. Weaver, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
While many of the viral videos show the kids palling around and preening, the former squad members say they were often pushed too far.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Location The placement of a birdbath is important, because a bird that is bathing or that has just bathed and is preening is vulnerable to predators.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2025
By coincidence, Emhoff spoke to Georgetown Law School students shortly before a preening Trump announced Willkie Farr’s surrender on social media.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preen
Verb
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Never mind the impropriety of DOJ leadership gloating and showing their biases against Google; distributing wristbands is a sophomoric stunt.—
Ross Marchand,
Baltimore Sun,
23 June 2025
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Enforcing immigration policy does not have to be inhumane, but the Trump administration is gloating in the very barbarity.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
14 June 2025
Verb
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Handlers at the 2024 National Dog Show Presented by Purina spoke exclusively with PEOPLE about getting different breeds ready for the big event and the amount of primping required.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
28 Nov. 2024
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Photographed by Clémence Polès The next couple of hours felt like a rom-com montage—a bunch of girls playing, primping, and posing for pictures.—
Jessie Heyman,
Vogue,
15 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Messi, at 35, led his country to glory against France, winning soccer’s ultimate prize in a pulsating match that finished 3-3 after extra time and had to be settled by a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC News,
19 Dec. 2022
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If Harris can bring together a family with Indian, African, and Jewish heritage, America can glory in its diversity.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
26 Aug. 2020
Verb
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The Padres walked off the field in expressionless silence as the Blue Jays exulted in the infield.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 May 2025
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All these novels exult in esoterica, daring the reader to open a web browser and follow up on Énard’s anecdotes and curious historical divagations.—
Nicholas Dames,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preen. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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