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
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.
Idaho Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling could force some ski areas out of business, operators say The December 2023 decision from Idaho’s highest court caused great consternation for Idaho’s 19 ski areas, which range from giant Sun Valley to tiny, one-chairlift mom-and-pop ski hills. Betsy Z. Russell, Idaho Statesman, 26 June 2025 These are good shared hosting plans for a mom-and-pop shop that just wants to list its inventory. PC Magazine, 24 June 2025 Siam Square, a mom-and-pop Thai restaurant in Indianapolis, is also feeling the strain of the tariffs and the travel ban. Sanvi Bangalore, NBC news, 22 June 2025 And all that while the team itself, no matter its global prominence, was a relative mom-and-pop shop until this week’s record-breaking, $10 billion sale to Los Angeles Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter. How will the Lakers look in the coming years? James Jackson, New York Times, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mom-and-pop

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

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Cite this Entry

“Mom-and-pop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mom-and-pop. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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