as in nothing
something of little importance
the money we spend on cable is small beer compared to the mortgage payment we have to come up with every month
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Examples of small beer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another type of small beer — so named because of its low alcohol content, typically 2 to 4 percent — was made by reusing grain from a previous brew.
—
Leslie Shapiro, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
And there's a possibility there may be a small beer garden near the barbecue area, but this detail had not yet been finalized.
—The Arizona Republic, 16 Aug. 2023
Twelve pieces max are complemented by a small beer and sake selection.
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2023
But this is small beer compared to being willing to absorb a $6.7 billion dollar hit over a decade in service of Indiana’s SPI interests.
—Robert G. Eccles, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for small beer 
Leslie Shapiro, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
And there's a possibility there may be a small beer garden near the barbecue area, but this detail had not yet been finalized.
—The Arizona Republic, 16 Aug. 2023
Twelve pieces max are complemented by a small beer and sake selection.
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2023
But this is small beer compared to being willing to absorb a $6.7 billion dollar hit over a decade in service of Indiana’s SPI interests.
—Robert G. Eccles, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for small beer
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'small beer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near small beer
Cite this Entry
“Small beer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20beer. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share