as in petty
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Recent Examples of small-time
So, say some small-time businessmen hire a truck through a dispatcher, the truck drives up to a field, and there, along the perimeter, a forklift crane pulls the pipe up from the sand.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
And too small-time for Carpenter.
—Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Song Sung Blue centers on Mike Sardina (Jackman), a recovering alcoholic, Vietnam veteran and small-time musician working as a mechanic to support his love for performing, and Claire Stengl (Hudson), a struggling single mother who moonlights as a Patsy Cline impersonator.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
This level of dealmaking far exceeds the bowling alley bets and small-time street gambles that have shaped Marty’s way of moving in the world, and Rockwell represents the kind of ruthless American capitalism and competition that requires humiliation and subjugation.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for small-time
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
And too small-time for Carpenter.
—Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Song Sung Blue centers on Mike Sardina (Jackman), a recovering alcoholic, Vietnam veteran and small-time musician working as a mechanic to support his love for performing, and Claire Stengl (Hudson), a struggling single mother who moonlights as a Patsy Cline impersonator.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
This level of dealmaking far exceeds the bowling alley bets and small-time street gambles that have shaped Marty’s way of moving in the world, and Rockwell represents the kind of ruthless American capitalism and competition that requires humiliation and subjugation.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for small-time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small-time
Adjective
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Here are some of the pettiest, most unimportant frustrations so far.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
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Forget all this childish behavior and just stop being so petty.—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Otherwise, the cease-fire would feel worthless to many Ukrainians, merely giving Russia a chance to prepare for another invasion.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
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Life itself being worthless, all things with it, that feed it, are worthless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Full-service hotels like Marriott and InterContinental still offer a more inclusive experience, and international airlines like Qatar Airways don't nickel-and-dime you for luggage.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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The nickel-and-dime crack sales; the tickets for open containers — none of that mattered anymore.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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By the end of my life, there may be no one left who speaks like my father outside the hollers and the one-horse towns.—
Annie Joy Williams,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2026
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This week's Far-Flung Postcard series takes you to a food stand in the one-horse town of Marikavalasa in India, where working women go to enjoy a treat and unwind in the evening before returning to the grind.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Small-time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-time. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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