How to Use petty larceny in a Sentence

petty larceny

noun
  • The charge was petty larceny, which is a misdemeanor, and his bail was set at just one dollar.
    — Jennifer Gonnerman, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2020
  • The boy dies of typhoid, but his spectre and his lust for petty larceny remain with Lurie.
    — Francisco Cantú, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2019
  • Police confirmed the man had been arrested for petty larceny.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2025
  • He was also charged with petty larceny for swiping the beer from a nearby BP gas station.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • On the other hand, someone whose mental illness compels them to petty larceny probably shouldn’t be confined at all.
    — New York Times, 13 Oct. 2017
  • Across California, clearance rates for petty larcenies — thefts without the use of force or threat of force — have fallen substantially over the past three decades, records show.
    — St. John Barned-Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2023
  • Gonzalez said Pena had multiple prior arrests, including at least five busts for petty larcenies and assaults.
    — Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Earlier this year he was charged with 15 counts of petty larceny, a misdemeanor, and pleaded guilty in July, according to court records.
    — Michael Gold, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2019
  • Rivera was also arrested in the Bronx in December 2023 for petty larceny, said sources.
    — Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 18 Nov. 2024
  • Charged with burglary, petty larceny and criminal trespass, Adams was ordered held on $10,000 bail.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
  • She was immediately arrested and charged with three counts of petty larceny, CNN reports.
    — Paula Rogo, Essence.com, 17 Mar. 2018
  • Triana has four prior arrests on record, with charges including criminal mischief, petty larceny, criminal contempt and assault, cops said.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
  • Johnson was charged with three counts of kidnapping and one count each of impersonating a law enforcement officer, petty larceny, assault and battery, according to jail records.
    — Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025
  • There’s also a good chance that some North Koreans, especially military personnel with easy access to small arms, may resort to petty larceny to get ahead.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 26 Apr. 2018
  • Savannah Jones, 26, was arrested on a charge of false identification and had an outstanding warrant for charges of grand and petty larceny, police said.
    — Gina Martinez, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2023
  • They were arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on an eight-count indictment charging them with burglary, forcible touching, petty larceny and official misconduct.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
  • In July 2022, he was arrested and charged with assault and petty larceny after striking another man several times and taking his phone.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 7 May 2025
  • He was released without bail after being arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court on robbery, petty larceny and harassment charges, officials said.
    — Thomas Tracy, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The actor was hit with assault and petty larceny charges in July after allegedly hitting another man multiple times and taking his phone, according to TMZ.
    — Peter Sblendorio New York Daily News (tns), al, 16 Sep. 2022
  • Yorman Reveron, 25, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and petty larceny in December for grabbing one of the officers, pulling him away from the struggle with Brito, and pushing both cops to the ground.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Simon and co-creator George Pelecanos use a time-hopping narrative to juggle multiple subplots about petty larceny and bureaucratic indifference with historic recreations of the Freddie Gray protests.
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2022
  • In 2025 there were zero shootings in the area, which sits in NYPD’s 84th Precinct, but incidents of burglary and petty larceny have increased markedly over the past several years, according to Police Department crime statistics.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Officers with the New York Police Department (NYPD) were initially attempting to arrest the man on charges of petty larceny in Harlem, the NYPD told Fox News Digital.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'petty larceny.' 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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