as in small-time
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Recent Examples of nickel-and-dime
Full-service hotels like Marriott and InterContinental still offer a more inclusive experience, and international airlines like Qatar Airways don't nickel-and-dime you for luggage.
—
Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
The nickel-and-dime crack sales; the tickets for open containers — none of that mattered anymore.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
With a comfy 16-point cushion entering the fourth quarter, though, Adelman turned to Jordan again to nickel-and-dime Jokic a few minutes of rest.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 29 Apr. 2025
That’s caused the run game to fade and forced Patrick Mahomes to lean more into a nickel-and-dime approach.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Much of it has been nickel-and-dime stuff but with some big-name crooks.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2024
Trying to nickel-and-dime such an important player could have done more harm than good.
—Darnell Mayberry, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024
Southwest Airlines, which set itself apart from its nickel-and-dime competitors, will soon scrap its open-seat policy and charge folks for more legroom.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 26 July 2024
Love or hate Apple, the company’s nickel-and-dime approach to cables, dongles, and chargers primed people to believe reports like this.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2023
Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
The nickel-and-dime crack sales; the tickets for open containers — none of that mattered anymore.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
With a comfy 16-point cushion entering the fourth quarter, though, Adelman turned to Jordan again to nickel-and-dime Jokic a few minutes of rest.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 29 Apr. 2025
That’s caused the run game to fade and forced Patrick Mahomes to lean more into a nickel-and-dime approach.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Much of it has been nickel-and-dime stuff but with some big-name crooks.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2024
Trying to nickel-and-dime such an important player could have done more harm than good.
—Darnell Mayberry, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024
Southwest Airlines, which set itself apart from its nickel-and-dime competitors, will soon scrap its open-seat policy and charge folks for more legroom.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 26 July 2024
Love or hate Apple, the company’s nickel-and-dime approach to cables, dongles, and chargers primed people to believe reports like this.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nickel-and-dime
Adjective
-
Superfakes is about a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld in order to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
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The proceeds paid off the loss of the second smuggle and, crucially, fulfilled the original trio’s obligations to the small-time dealer who had fronted them the cash to buy The Escape in return for a commitment to two successful smuggles.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hole, Oleg and Martin Aminov (Simon J Berger), a petty gun smuggler mistakenly accused of being the serial killer, wind up in a stationary elevator stuck between two floors with an armed Waaler reaching in to grab Oleg’s hair.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The show will focus on the disappearance of petty criminal El Nani (aka Santiago Correla).—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
America has already achieved an important objective by restoring credibility to our deterrence since military power is worthless if adversaries don’t believe this power will ever be employed.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The winner of the postal contract — a worthless piece of paper without Havana landing rights — was forced to merge.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nickel-and-dime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nickel-and-dime. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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