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
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Recent Examples of small talk
Nod more Being good at small talk usually means having a high emotional intelligence.
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Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 7 Dec. 2024
However, employees have begun using this chat for small talk.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for small talk 
Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 7 Dec. 2024
However, employees have begun using this chat for small talk.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for small talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small talk
Noun
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Before practice on Wednesday morning, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube pulled Max Domi aside for a chat.Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
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Based on user chats, ChatGPT may also suggest tasks, although users will have the option to accept or decline them.Rishi Kant, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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An Israeli official briefed on the talks confirmed the deal to NBC News.Natasha Turak,Christina Wilkie, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025
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Negotiators are aiming to clinch an agreement on the final details of a ceasefire in Gaza by the weekend after marathon talks in Qatar, with mediators and negotiators from Israel and Hamas both saying a deal was closer than ever.Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Using Cell Phones with Reckless Abandon While the ballpark is filled with cheers and chatter, nobody wants to be seated next to the person who’s loudly carrying on a phone conversation in the middle of it—or have to dodge the hundredth selfie snapped by the person in front of them.Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2025
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The compressed size of the court and the smaller arena mean players — and fans — will be able to hear much more on-court chatter.Remy Tumin, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20talk. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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