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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of small beer
Of course, a pipeline is small beer compared to the world’s largest island, Greenland, laden with energy resources and rare earths.
—
Llewellyn King, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
To merely denounce the war, or to call for the end of American military support for Israel, would have been small beer.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2025
This was, to Biden’s critics on the left, small beer.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for small beer
Llewellyn King, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
To merely denounce the war, or to call for the end of American military support for Israel, would have been small beer.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2025
This was, to Biden’s critics on the left, small beer.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for small beer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small beer
Noun
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When Dana, who, like Virginia, had been successful in writing pleasant but undistinguished nothings—in her case, songs for Billy Rose’s revues—decided to try taking on more serious music by studying with Boulanger, Virginia entered a deep downward spiral.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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Why did her mom press so hard for the littlest of nothings?—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
All the more reason for those under this sign to embrace the softness and triviality of floral prints right before spring arrives.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Any piece of art begins in triviality.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The show has undergone small changes over the years.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
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And over time, even a small change in an asteroid’s motion could be the difference between a hazardous object hitting our planet or missing it entirely, according to researchers.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Small beer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20beer. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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