as in nothing
something of little importance
the money we spend on cable is small beer compared to the mortgage payment we have to come up with every month
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Recent Examples of small beer
That covers even things like withholding taxes and the administration of those, which sometimes might seem like relatively small beer, but often for some of our members, significant amounts of money.
—
Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
This is small beer for a government committing genocide (according to the U.S. State Department and other bodies).
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 30 July 2024
This includes fresh paint in several places, some new concession stands, a small beer garden, new lights, and perhaps most notably, two new video boards flanking the stage.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2024
And while goofing around in a theater was fun, the challenge and buzz of playing for knowing audiences was small beer indeed compared to the whole-of-being workout of doing undercover improv on national tv and radio.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 7 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for small beer
Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
This is small beer for a government committing genocide (according to the U.S. State Department and other bodies).
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 30 July 2024
This includes fresh paint in several places, some new concession stands, a small beer garden, new lights, and perhaps most notably, two new video boards flanking the stage.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2024
And while goofing around in a theater was fun, the challenge and buzz of playing for knowing audiences was small beer indeed compared to the whole-of-being workout of doing undercover improv on national tv and radio.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 7 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for small beer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small beer
Noun
-
My memoir was built of gaps, juxtaposition, weird little nothings.—
Cheri Lucas Rowlands,
Longreads,
16 Dec. 2024
-
But nothings more peaceful than tomorrow to a man going through pain today.—
Becca Longmire,
Peoplemag,
22 Feb. 2024
Noun
-
The token slivers of human-interest drama (a divorce battle, a visit to the pediatrician) that are meant to counterpoint the possibility of Armageddon with the oh-so-ironic triviality of quotidian concerns.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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Both aspired to some kind of soulful, intellectual seriousness at a moment when their work was pulling them toward mass appeal and triviality.—
Liz McNeil,
People.com,
16 July 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Foulkes and Michôd did have to make some small changes to Martin's story.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
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Even small changes, like walking to school a few days a week, can improve energy and build lifelong healthy habits.—
Brian Castrucci,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Small beer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20beer. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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