1
as in discussion
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
seemingly endless palaver between the negotiating parties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in chatter
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
we should get together and have a nice palaver sometime
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to chat
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
mothers palavering and drinking coffee while watching their children play
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to coax
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
I let the salesclerk at the electronics store palaver me into a service contract that I didn't need
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of palaver
Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024
The palaver about Prime Minister Liz Truss’s failed tax-cut plan has obscured the way Mr. Bailey politicized the British central bank.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 Oct. 2022
Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for palaver
Noun
And to listen to them is to be privy to some of the most easily ignored palaver the global economic elite has to offer.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024
The palaver about Prime Minister Liz Truss’s failed tax-cut plan has obscured the way Mr. Bailey politicized the British central bank.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 Oct. 2022
Verb
On the one hand, Hrabal’s palavering bears a direct relation to reality.
—Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for palaver
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palaver
Noun
-
There is also discussion of the $10 billion Walter’s TWG Global holding company recently received from Mubadala Capital, an investment arm of Mubadala Investment Company, the sovereign wealth fund based in the United Arab Emirates, and what that transaction portends for Walter’s next move.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
24 June 2025
-
There has been some recent discussion about women needing more than eight hours during certain periods of their cycle, but this is yet to reach the mainstream.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
There was a lot of chatter about the government replenishing local government consumer subsidy funds after strong demand, which led to depletion in several cities.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
Based on all the chatter coming out of camp, Wilson already seems to be having a positive influence on the Giants.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
As that rare thing, a young female naturist happy to chat on camera, Saoirse Newhouse has been in demand with the press at the opening ceremony.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
19 June 2025
-
Special guests and close friends are expected to appear, to chat about their family life, careers, life experiences, homes and gardens.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
Yes, a Bernie Sanders voter shot Rep. Steve Scalise, but Sanders always condemns political violence and is not a gun nut coaxing it in his public life.—
Mark Green,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
-
About half that time was spent in near silence as auctioneer Max Fawcett, head of Christie’s Geneva jewelry department, coaxed two phone bidders to increase their bids from $8.1 million to the final hammer price of $9.5 million, as seen through Christie’s livestream of the sale.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
For a time, Cruz would let women know about misoprostol—how to procure and take it—and support them through the process while the doctor would provide consultations and follow-up care to those who needed it, such as an ultrasound to confirm gestation or monitoring of heavy bleeding.—
Rebecca Grant
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
-
On June 8, President Trump sent in 1,700 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to help control the protests without California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) request or consultation.—
Amalia Huot-Marchand,
The Hill,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet Trump, whose administration had entered into talks with Iran aimed at reaching an agreement on the country's nuclear program, has backed the Israeli offensive and has openly contemplated joining the Israeli campaign through strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
-
Share it consistently through talks, X posts or articles, backed by real results.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
The investment firm has launched the GS AI Assistant, an AI program that will let workers across its divisions converse with large language models that are firewalled within Goldman, ideally eliminating the threat that sensitive data could escape into the wild.—
Chris Morris,
Fortune,
24 June 2025
-
The filmmaker puts a whimsical twist on a rather dark tale by having that flower converse with Akutsu, who tells it the story of his life before imprisonment.—
Kambole Campbell,
Variety,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Those and another 13 will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday’s debate will air at 7 p.m. on ABC 10News.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 June 2025
-
With Congress expected to slash federal aid soon, and with the latest state budget employing stopgap measures to comply with caps, that debate likely will resume soon.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Palaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palaver. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share