1
: being or relating to a small owner-operated business
a mom-and-pop grocery
2

Examples of mom-and-pop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Newburyport, Massachusetts With a rich nautical history dating back to the 17th century, Newburyport is the ultimate coastal town with classic colonial architecture and quaint mom-and-pop shops. Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024 Amanda Cella She’s contacted mom-and-pop shops, as well as retail and hospital pharmacies in New Jersey and Philadelphia, but none had the drug. Jessica Herzberg, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024 Chang and Momofuku were accused of bullying mom-and-pop producers with ancestral connections to the spicy-oily-crispy condiment, which is popular in China and other Asian countries. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024 Last week, The Guardian reported that Chang’s food empire, which makes Momofuku Chili Crunch, had sent cease-and-desist letters to a number of chili oil companies, many of them small mom-and-pop operations. Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024 Between excursions, there are breweries, antique stores, and mom-and-pop spots — quirky Lulu's on Main has been a go-to for decades. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024 The truth is many growing families need more space, but the only pathway to renting a single-family home is dealing with mom-and-pop owners who may not be great caretakers. David Howard, Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2024 When its 1,000 workers lost their jobs, thousands more were sent reeling, as businesses from rum shops to mom-and-pop groceries folded. Gaiutra Bahadur Keisha Scarville, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024 Sure, America may be home to more than 200,000 fast-food restaurants, but that doesn't mean there aren't a fair number of mom-and-pop shops in the mix too. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of mom-and-pop was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near mom-and-pop

Cite this Entry

“Mom-and-pop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mom-and-pop. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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