preen
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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 her gentlest touch he will preen, stretch, and open his mouth.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
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
Swain’s Damon rolls on the floor and preens like a cat.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 6, 2019
He preens on the railing, raising his beak majestically, fluffing his feathers.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Sporting a flipped bouffant hairstyle and a floral wiggle dress that harked back to the 1967 film “Valley of the Dolls,” she’s not just immaculately preened for her inaugural L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 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
Hagler’s Marvelous nickname was bestowed by a Lowell, Mass., journalist when he fought there as an amateur and preened in the ring, emulating Muhammad Ali.
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2021
He preened about how scientific experts marveled at his grasp of the complex details of virology and the way supposedly awestruck doctors asked, "How do you know so much?"
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2020
I preened a while, this way and that.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
The ducks are sitting or preening at the water, or about to take flight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
In a moment with Colin Farrell as his preening son, Duvall is shocked and disappointed by how things are being handled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
But it’s tricky to maintain a balance between eliciting sympathy for the central duo and making sport of them, in all their preening garishness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025
He was preening for the press, warming to another of his vicious, incoherent jeremiads when his Canadian host suggested he join the others in a bit of work.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2025
He spent hours communing with them, preening their feathers with a stick while sitting in the dust and gobbling softly at them.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Vocabulary lists containing preen
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Face It: Selfie Vocab
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Beowulf
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
