mom-and-pop
adjective
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
To some extent, the bookstore was experiencing the same predicament of chain retail generally, which, after robust expansion that put mom-and-pop shops out of business, declined faster than independent stores in the age of e-commerce.
—
Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Rachel Mason’s excellent 2019 documentary feature Circus of Books took us inside an ordinary mom-and-pop business with a difference.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Paintings of faces, birds and other subjects draw foot traffic into alleyways and eyes onto the side of buildings, which house a mix of mom-and-pop shops, taquerias and chains like Dunkin’.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Follow the Donut Trail in Butler County, Ohio Butler County claims to have more mom-and-pop donut shops per capita than anywhere else in the Midwest.
—Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mom-and-pop
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.
Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Rachel Mason’s excellent 2019 documentary feature Circus of Books took us inside an ordinary mom-and-pop business with a difference.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Paintings of faces, birds and other subjects draw foot traffic into alleyways and eyes onto the side of buildings, which house a mix of mom-and-pop shops, taquerias and chains like Dunkin’.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Follow the Donut Trail in Butler County, Ohio Butler County claims to have more mom-and-pop donut shops per capita than anywhere else in the Midwest.
—Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
