How to Use perfectionism in a Sentence

perfectionism

noun
  • For most of her life, Jane saw her perfectionism as a crutch.
    — Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2023
  • Let go of perfectionism and focus on projects that make your heart sing.
    — Dossé-Via Trenou, refinery29.com, 16 Dec. 2024
  • But Sprouse's perfectionism grants a gift to those who view his work.
    — The Indianapolis Star, 15 July 2022
  • The good news is that perfectionism is not an intractable trait.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Jan. 2023
  • Don’t let perfectionism or self-doubt keep your story on the shelf.
    — Adrian Gostick, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • For many years now young adults have been struggling with perfectionism.
    — Tess Brigham, Forbes, 2 June 2021
  • Don’t let perfectionism trip you up.
    — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 24 Aug. 2025
  • This is a time to reflect on how perfectionism may be holding you back.
    — Dossé-Via Trenou, refinery29.com, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Some of his perfectionism traces back to a sense of being an outsider.
    — Time, 21 July 2023
  • Virgos are known for their perfectionism–no detail is too small for this earth sign.
    — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 13 Sep. 2021
  • But at the same time, there’s a lot of hyper perfectionism going on.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 13 Apr. 2022
  • Time, his own perfectionism, and the reactions of a bunch of strangers off the street.
    — Darryn King, Wired, 10 June 2020
  • But the problem with perfectionism is that no one is perfect.
    — Kendra MacDonald, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • That perfectionism accounts for the long wait for the new album.
    — Joe Lynch, Billboard, 21 May 2018
  • The key is to release the need for perfectionism — choose balance over burnout.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Some have found fault with his pessimism, his perfectionism, the languorous pace of his films.
    — Yasmine Seale, Harpers Magazine, 5 Jan. 2021
  • To me so much of this has been self-delusional perfectionism.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 July 2025
  • Don’t let your innate perfectionism ruin the fun at this time.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • But the quest for perfectionism can have harmful side effects.
    — Laura Newberrystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2022
  • What are your strategies for taking out that fear of failure and a need for perfectionism?
    — Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2022
  • That perfectionism is applied both in their own lives and in their judgment of others.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2023
  • One of the first steps is noticing the signs of back-to-school perfectionism impacting your home.
    — Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Stewart has brought her trademark perfectionism to the brand.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The first step, Duris says, is tackling the perfectionism that likely got you here in the first place.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Then came two sons calling about an alcoholic father who drank to douse the stress of his perfectionism.
    — Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
  • That’s how this crazy cycle of perfectionism continues to exist in a lot of us.
    — Mary Colurso | [email protected], al, 31 Oct. 2019
  • Fear, doubt, and perfectionism kill more businesses than bad ideas ever will.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • This is the problem with perfectionism.
    — Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Are those thoughts rooted in perfectionism, a fear of failure, a need to control or something else?
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
  • But looking at benchmarks like that is a slippery slope to perfectionism and avoidance.
    — Charlotte Cowles, The Cut, 24 Aug. 2017

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

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