Synonyms
Examples of small talk in a Sentence
They made small talk while waiting for the meeting to start.
at the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office
Recent Examples on the Web
But unlike those other services, there will be nobody to make small talk with while riding in a Waymo One vehicle because the vehicles are controlled by computer software.
—
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024
Serra, like Johns, was an intense presence who had no patience for small talk.
—Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Like a beacon in his chef’s whites, Ruiz led us through the market’s endless alleys, stopping every now and then to make small talk with a stallholder or to take a selfie with a fan.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2024
Readers can expect chapters to highlight small talk's significant role in life and even offer snippets of real small talk trainees.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Others are drawn to the idea of avoiding small talk and the pressure to tip.
—Corina Knoll, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Cillian Murphy and Carrie Mulligan made brief appearances — not stopping for small talk (probably thanks to the security guards leading and following them).
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024
A number of us scrolled through iPhones with our index fingers or exchanged small talk, occasionally slipping into English by accident.
—Jamil Jan Kochai, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Even my side hustle — producing podcasts that don’t feature sitcom stars making small talk with their friends — went sideways.
—Mark Healy, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2024
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024
Serra, like Johns, was an intense presence who had no patience for small talk.
—Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Like a beacon in his chef’s whites, Ruiz led us through the market’s endless alleys, stopping every now and then to make small talk with a stallholder or to take a selfie with a fan.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2024
Readers can expect chapters to highlight small talk's significant role in life and even offer snippets of real small talk trainees.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Others are drawn to the idea of avoiding small talk and the pressure to tip.
—Corina Knoll, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Cillian Murphy and Carrie Mulligan made brief appearances — not stopping for small talk (probably thanks to the security guards leading and following them).
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024
A number of us scrolled through iPhones with our index fingers or exchanged small talk, occasionally slipping into English by accident.
—Jamil Jan Kochai, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Even my side hustle — producing podcasts that don’t feature sitcom stars making small talk with their friends — went sideways.
—Mark Healy, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'small talk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/small%20talk. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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