as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
at the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 small talk
Lacey remembers the conversation, which came just after exchanging small talk with her doctor, who discussed having four kids at home.
—
Angela Andaloro, People.com, 17 June 2025
Surface-level small talk gets you nowhere and leaves no mark.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
After years on the route, Casey has come to know who needs help with their bags, who wants small talk and who prefers silence.
—January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Around liberal America, these were the questions asked with a nervous laugh at dinner parties, in office small talk, on university campuses.
—Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for small talk
Angela Andaloro, People.com, 17 June 2025
Surface-level small talk gets you nowhere and leaves no mark.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
After years on the route, Casey has come to know who needs help with their bags, who wants small talk and who prefers silence.
—January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Around liberal America, these were the questions asked with a nervous laugh at dinner parties, in office small talk, on university campuses.
—Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for small talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small talk
Noun
-
After a firepit chat with Madix, the four couples headed back to the platform for the results.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
Avoid sharing confidential or sensitive information in Gemini chats, as Google explicitly advises against it.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Those who didn’t make it to the summer festival will find year-round programming that includes pop-up performances, artist talks, and classes.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
14 July 2025
-
Republic claimed the union wasn't negotiating in good faith, while the Teamsters accused the company of abandoning talks and refusing to continue over the weekend.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
There was the usual chatter about 'whether to rest the starters or not', but they good guys weren't going to lay down and hand those cocky Patriots a 16-0 record.—
Geoffrey Knox,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
-
If the enthusiasm for the F1 flick may have helped rev up ESPN2’s British Grand Prix deliveries—the July 6 race, won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, averaged 1.5 million viewers, up 19% versus the year-ago telecast—Cue’s offer may well supersede any chatter about linear TV ratings.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Each monthly box includes three recipe guides, skill lessons, a kitchen tool, a kitchen project, an apron patch, table talk cards, and a grocery list.—
Jessica Booth,
Parents,
16 Dec. 2024
-
Almost everything about Thanksgiving, from travel to table talk about politics, has the potential to become fraught.—
Kendra Nordin Beato,
The Christian Science Monitor,
26 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20talk. Accessed 28 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share