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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Published in the journal Matter, the underlying mechanisms behind the inferior photochemical of polymer acceptor and develops a method to enhance both efficiency and stability through small-molecule incorporation.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Feb. 2026
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February storms brought fresh snow to the Sierra Nevada, but California’s snowpack remains far smaller than average during a winter that has brought record warmth across much of the West.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The driver of the GMC and a passenger were transported to Tahoe Forest Hospital with minor injuries, the CHP said.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
28 Feb. 2026
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To the Guggenheim Partners owners, who bought the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation as an aside last year, these are minor matters.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After that 12-day war in June, Tehran was left with little negotiating leverage, its nuclear facilities heavily damaged, its proxies nearly neutralized and its economy in tatters.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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Leading by five goals in Honduras after 45 minutes allowed for a full-strength performance over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and little concern in the second leg against Real España, rotating numerous players ahead of the spring trip to Texas.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Small-fry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-fry. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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