as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
at the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of small talk
Officers who were staging for the undercover operation reported that Schoonover engaged in small talk with them with before entering a room at the hotel.
—
Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Sometimes the cars stacked up as people made small talk with her at the drive-through window.
—John Branch, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Rather than making small talk, ask things that matter.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
But in the end, most riders’ favorite thing about Waymo wasn’t efficiency, or price, or safety, but not having to be in a car with another human—never underestimate how few people enjoy small talk with drivers, even if the trade-off for quiet is a slightly glitchy ride.
—Michelle Weber, Longreads, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for small talk 
Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Sometimes the cars stacked up as people made small talk with her at the drive-through window.
—John Branch, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Rather than making small talk, ask things that matter.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
But in the end, most riders’ favorite thing about Waymo wasn’t efficiency, or price, or safety, but not having to be in a car with another human—never underestimate how few people enjoy small talk with drivers, even if the trade-off for quiet is a slightly glitchy ride.
—Michelle Weber, Longreads, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for small talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small talk
Noun
-
But chats with director of football Kevin Thelwell and manager Sean Dyche convinced him to choose Goodison Park over other destinations.Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 28 Dec. 2024
-
There were cold plunges and microdosing explainers, HIIT workouts led by Jillian Michaels, and neuroscience chats with Andrew Huberman.Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
This has become a contentious political debate, with the far-right calling for a boycott to any talks having to do with irregular migration.Miguel Macias, NPR, 27 Dec. 2024
-
But even then, some of the talk is witty and instructive, building toward a resolution that, if not happy, feels conciliatory and hard-earned, while true to its characters’ flaws and vanities.Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Hong Kong and Mainland China grinded higher, led by growth stocks and consumer subsectors on chatter of holiday season vouchers and in anticipation of the post-CEWC release’s pro-consumption and fiscal policy expansion.Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
-
The chatter began as soon as Trump first announced that Vance would join him on the Republican presidential ticket.Jeremiah Poff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Each monthly box includes three recipe guides, skill lessons, a kitchen tool, a kitchen project, an apron patch, table talk cards, and a grocery list.Jessica Booth, Parents, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Almost everything about Thanksgiving, from travel to table talk about politics, has the potential to become fraught.Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024
Articles Related to small talk
Thesaurus Entries Near small talk
Cite this Entry
“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20talk. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share