preen
Example Sentences
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These days, pastel and fluorescent birds groom, preen and bicker in enclosures behind the home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
Maybe it’s happiest tucked into a cast-iron skillet, going golden and jammy while the showier types preen in their baskets.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2025
It might be a bank holiday in the UK, but for the designers, publicists and PAs, it'll be an extraordinarily busy day as they preen and prepare their stars to walk the grand staircase.
From BBC ● May 4, 2025
Foster wasn’t the only coach who could preen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2024
At this moment Frightful, who had been sitting quietly on her stump, began to preen.
From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Brianne purrs and preens even as she expresses skepticism, and whines and demurs when she might bare real claws.
From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2023
Robotnik preens, seethes, and contorts his face to spit out condescending sarcasm with all the psychology of a Saturday morning cartoon baddie.
From Slate ● Feb. 14, 2020
A background performer in a hat draped with ivy sways to disco music while another in gold chain flaps preens in his fringed jacket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2019
A given culture typically preens itself into believing that its foodways, family structure and political system are the truly logical ones.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 1, 2019
He preens on the railing, raising his beak majestically, fluffing his feathers.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
He preened, he hugged, he shook hands and hobnobbed with legends and politicians.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2024
Jeudy pranced and preened in a squabble with Smith, the former Panthers star receiver and current NFL Network analyst, prior to the Broncos’ 19-8 loss at Kansas City last week.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
So if you happen to raise an orphan like we did with Alfie, that desire to be preened is very relatable.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2023
The performances viewers see are not mimed to a studio recording that was made in advance and preened to perfection with editing.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2021
He preened, his left wing lightly touching my scarred cheek.
From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis
I understand that preening and politicking is way more fun and ego-enhancing than the minutiae of government in Sacramento.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Reviewing the musical before it transferred to Broadway, our critic praised it as “an exuberant parade of song, dance, preening and posing that revitalizes Mr. Lloyd Webber’s enduring score with wit, invention and roof-rattling energy.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
As in most of the director’s movies, the characters behave like preening betta fish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
This is not revelation: The defense secretary is well known for preening for the cameras with a level of self-regard that would embarrass most supermodels.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026
When the dragon had finally sated its hunger, it sat on Jeremy's desk, preening its scales with its beaky nose.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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