as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
a bit of chitchat over lunch with people we hadn't seen in a while
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chitchat
The pair talk about everything, from fun chitchat to discussing schemes and how Riley can get his body healthy as his load increases.
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Dec. 2025
Behind them, another pair of former vice presidents and onetime political rivals engaged in friendly chitchat: former Vice Presidents Al Gore (D) and Dan Quayle (R).
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 20 Nov. 2025
The initial touch marks the transition from regular life—chitchat, logistics, social armor—to the otherworldly realm of the massage, in which mind and body are uniquely harmonized, and some kind of euphoria is achieved.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The big picture: Nationally, the trend has been the opposite, with most places seeing a slow but steady return to the land of cubicles, water cooler chitchat and harsh fluorescent lighting.
—Esteban L. Hernandez, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for chitchat
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Dec. 2025
Behind them, another pair of former vice presidents and onetime political rivals engaged in friendly chitchat: former Vice Presidents Al Gore (D) and Dan Quayle (R).
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 20 Nov. 2025
The initial touch marks the transition from regular life—chitchat, logistics, social armor—to the otherworldly realm of the massage, in which mind and body are uniquely harmonized, and some kind of euphoria is achieved.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The big picture: Nationally, the trend has been the opposite, with most places seeing a slow but steady return to the land of cubicles, water cooler chitchat and harsh fluorescent lighting.
—Esteban L. Hernandez, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for chitchat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chitchat
Noun
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Sign up here to receive an email right as the chat is about to start.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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The video blew up on Chinese social media, becoming a top trending topic and reaching more than 90 million views on Douyin and Weibo, two major platforms – with the video quickly spawning countless memes and group-chat discussions.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On the conference sidelines, expect plenty of chatter about AI and the overall electricity supply crunch.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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But even though right when the divorce was announced, there were reports that Urban had already moved on, there hasn’t really been much chatter about Kidman possibly doing the same.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the proposal was full of cartoonishly goofy faux spy talk.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Pakistan said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war, arriving Sunday for a two-day visit.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Chitchat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chitchat. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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