as in small
lacking importance
some small-fry official in the state government with a big-time ego
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of small-fry
Ridley Scott directs Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura in the first episode of a tale in which two small-fry thieves rob a drug den and become the target of a relentless kingpin.
—
Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Cassatt achieved hers by changing mediums; by experimenting with colors; and by being perversely drawn to small-fry subject matter, then mining it from all angles.
—Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 27 June 2024
For small-fry investors and big money managers alike, the psychological toll of falling behind creates pressure, particularly for those sticking with the playbook.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 10 June 2024
Brad Heppner had the grand idea of bringing investment opportunities enjoyed by Wall Street institutions to small-fry investors.
—Alexander Gladstone, WSJ, 28 July 2023
Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Cassatt achieved hers by changing mediums; by experimenting with colors; and by being perversely drawn to small-fry subject matter, then mining it from all angles.
—Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 27 June 2024
For small-fry investors and big money managers alike, the psychological toll of falling behind creates pressure, particularly for those sticking with the playbook.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 10 June 2024
Brad Heppner had the grand idea of bringing investment opportunities enjoyed by Wall Street institutions to small-fry investors.
—Alexander Gladstone, WSJ, 28 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small-fry
Adjective
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Part of Season 1’s success may be put down to its offering a fresh take on daily life in smaller city rural Portugal, Cunha Telles noted at Conecta Fiction.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
18 June 2025
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The small resort town of McCall is about 450 miles southwest of where the search for Decker is currently focused.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Trending Video Inside Lil Baby’s Stylish Atlanta Oasis Other minor, thoughtful details made this bed a special one to me.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
20 June 2025
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There were some minor disadvantages to this method, Boyle admits, mostly due to Apple’s user-friendly camera software.—
Jake Kleinman,
Wired News,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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The issue passed with opposition from Republicans and 18 skeptical Democrats in the House but with relatively little public outcry.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
23 June 2025
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Presidents have relatively little influence on oil and gasoline prices generally.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Small-fry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-fry. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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