small potato

noun

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of small potato

: one that is of trivial importance or worth —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

Recent Examples of small potato from the Web

Compared to Hanoi and Prague, the Miss America contest that took place in Atlantic City in September 1968 may seem like small potatoes.

— alan wolfe, The New Republic, "A Most Violent Year," 18 May 2018
That’s small potatoes in a $3 trillion annual federal budget.

— alex theodoridis, Washington Post, "Trump just praised earmarks. Here's what the fuss is about.," 12 Jan. 2018
That’s small potatoes compared to, say, beauty or gaming influencers boasting tens of millions of followers.

— erin griffith, WIRED, "The Hustlers Fueling Cryptocurrency’s Marketing Machine," 12 June 2018
In light of the financial industry scandals that followed, the Keating one was small potatoes.

— elizabeth drew, The New Republic, "The John McCain I Know," 1 June 2018
That’s a fine enough interpretation for this cliffhanger and small potatoes compared to the fan theorizing that has followed The Sopranos finale for over a decade.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Is Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump Leaving S.N.L.?," 20 May 2018
Most vegetables, whether small potatoes or carrots or asparagus, benefit from steaming, which accentuates their innate sweetness.

— david tanis, New York Times, "Steamed Fish, Swimming in Flavor," 12 Jan. 2018
Alessandra, meanwhile, was roasting small potatoes, drizzling olive oil over butterhead lettuce, and cooking sweet Italian sausages.

— libby copeland, Curbed, "Home smart home," 14 Mar. 2018
Still, Monday's weather was small potatoes compared to what will hit the region in a couple days.

— dale kasler and benjy egel, sacbee, "The dry spell ends in California. But can we stave off drought? | The Sacramento Bee," 26 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'small potato.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.