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
The creep then uses these peccadilloes to blackmail ostensibly good folks into all sorts of weird behavior — like convincing a guilty-conscience police officer to undermine the investigation, and when the cops get close, even to commit murder on his behalf.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 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
Consumption is the peccadillo; flossing is the pardon.
—New York Times, 10 Aug. 2021
See all Example Sentences for peccadillo 
Peter Debruge, Variety, 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
Consumption is the peccadillo; flossing is the pardon.
—New York Times, 10 Aug. 2021
See all Example Sentences for peccadillo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peccadillo
Noun
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By contrast, in fiscal year 2024, 51 percent of the people ICE arrested had been convicted of a crime, and an additional 21 percent had criminal charges pending against them.—
Nathaniel Rakich,
ABC News,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes, not state offenses.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And that’s before factoring in an error in the data published on DOGE’s website that mislabels a contract as $8 billion, which was later corrected in the federal database to only be $8 million.—
Bloomberg News,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
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But the employee also explained that the recent layoffs will reduce the agency’s ability to defend against IT or security errors, on top of diminishing morale.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Peltier has maintained his innocence and his case has been plagued with allegations of trial misconduct, conflicting testimonies, withheld evidence and potential bias among jurors.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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Despite numerous allegations, Spacey has been legally cleared of misconduct in two separate trials in the U.S. and the U.K.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Whistleblowers — who report fraud, abuse and other wrongdoings — are protected from being retaliated against.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
15 Feb. 2025
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The film ends with Ross going full Red Hulk in the White House Rose Garden (oops), nearly ruining his legacy (Sterns’ real prize) and ultimately forcing him to admit his wrongdoing, give up his office, and head to The Raft to serve an undetermined amount of time in the floating prison.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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If those are the heights, imagine the depths of condemnation such a player faces if for the sin of failing to measure up.—
Phil Thompson,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2025
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Emilia Pérez’s sins of misrepresentation were legion.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Peccadillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peccadillo. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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