How to Use preen in a Sentence

preen

verb
  • Rick would likely preen it over the course of many days.
    Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2021
  • From the fish tanks come the Dungeness crabs and whorls of eel, the flesh fluffy and preening from the heat of the wok.
    Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2017
  • Using his tongue, the parrot holds the small stone in place to preen his plumage.
    David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2021
  • And Schiff preens, makes speeches about virtue and shows no shame.
    John Kass, chicagotribune.com, 12 Dec. 2019
  • When the tape ended, Lefty sat in that courtroom and preened.
    Jimmy Breslin, Esquire, 20 Mar. 2017
  • Watching Lil Nas X pose and preen on his walk to the stage was more fun than most of the night’s music.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2022
  • Both Jordan and David are eager to preen for the cameras.
    Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, 26 June 2018
  • Aware of her own legend without needing to preen over it, Lum has warmed to the idea.
    Jonathan Kauffman, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Nov. 2017
  • While patiently waiting for a food clue, the birds will preen.
    Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 25 Aug. 2020
  • Smoked meat hung from the ceiling, and chickens preened beneath her bed.
    Jonathan Kaiman, latimes.com, 16 Aug. 2017
  • Peace-Park is a place crowded with the youth, many of the women in full make-up, the young men preening in their best outfits.
    TIME.com, 19 Oct. 2017
  • And Brand will preen and prance and shake his bells, proclaiming the void within him, which is the void within us all.
    James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 June 2018
  • Flamingos on the Loose A pair of greater flamingos preening their feathers in France.
    Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2023
  • When this reporter noted that the one-in-a-million cardinal has the right to preen a bit, Chelsea agreed.
    al, 9 Mar. 2021
  • It was thought the peacock might have been preening in the shiny reflection of the vehicle.
    Carol Cormaci, latimes.com, 9 July 2018
  • Another, dressed in an ice-blue peignoir, petted a stuffed lap dog with one hand and preened with the other.
    Jenna Wortham, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2018
  • Each one will be groomed and pampered, allowed a few snacks and even a nap or two, and then poked and prodded and allowed to preen.
    New York Times, 12 Feb. 2020
  • Up above, ministers preened and fretted over the lack of snowfall.
    Andrew Roth, Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2018
  • In complying with that final edict, Foles does not strut or preen.
    Ben Shpigel, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2018
  • Birds also preen to distribute oil to their feathers from what is called the preen gland, located at the base of the tail.
    Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 25 Aug. 2020
  • Most teams have a player or two -- or three -- who'll flop and preen and play-act like babies, hoping to get a little help from the ref.
    Steve Almasy, CNN, 13 June 2018
  • McDaniel wasn’t invited to preen with the other stars, and wasn’t even mentioned in the program.
    Kyle Smith, National Review, 14 Apr. 2021
  • No one comes to preen and promote, and failing to listen is a cardinal sin.
    Nicole Blackwood, chicagotribune.com, 25 June 2019
  • The goose will preen her ponytail while vocalizing with a playlist of notes and volumes.
    Kevin Spear, orlandosentinel.com, 24 Nov. 2021
  • The winning prize includes $1,500, a trophy, and a flight to New York for media appearances where the pup can preen at last.
    Raisa Bruner, Time, 23 June 2017
  • Other college coaches preen and scream on the sidelines.
    Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2023
  • Pack the sunscreen and preen those feathers: The Dirtybird Campout is back and bigger than ever.
    Kat Bein, Billboard, 11 July 2017
  • It’s Friday (!), and the gray New York sky does not bode well for the preening baby succulents on my windowsill.
    Rebecca Keegan, HWD, 21 Apr. 2017
  • Marsden's sparring with Gladden — who begins the series as a preening fanboy before realizing the Sonic the Hedgehog star might be the stupidest member of the jury — is the show's crowning glory.
    Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Lambert’s various costume changes and preening fully complemented the arena-sized music.
    Brad Auerbach, SPIN, 15 Nov. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: