as in nothing
something of little importance
the money we spend on cable is small beer compared to the mortgage payment we have to come up with every month
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Recent Examples of small beer
Another type of small beer — so named because of its low alcohol content, typically 2 to 4 percent — was made by reusing grain from a previous brew.
—
Leslie Shapiro, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
And there's a possibility there may be a small beer garden near the barbecue area, but this detail had not yet been finalized.
—The Arizona Republic, 16 Aug. 2023
Twelve pieces max are complemented by a small beer and sake selection.
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2023
But this is small beer compared to being willing to absorb a $6.7 billion dollar hit over a decade in service of Indiana’s SPI interests.
—Robert G. Eccles, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for small beer 
Leslie Shapiro, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
And there's a possibility there may be a small beer garden near the barbecue area, but this detail had not yet been finalized.
—The Arizona Republic, 16 Aug. 2023
Twelve pieces max are complemented by a small beer and sake selection.
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2023
But this is small beer compared to being willing to absorb a $6.7 billion dollar hit over a decade in service of Indiana’s SPI interests.
—Robert G. Eccles, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for small beer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small beer
Noun
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My memoir was built of gaps, juxtaposition, weird little nothings.—
Cheri Lucas Rowlands,
Longreads,
16 Dec. 2024
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The one whose legs turned nothings into somethings, improvising the Lions’ entire defensive game plan into a pile of ash?—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2024
Noun
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Any continuation of this conversation will veer far off from the triviality of Socrates’s political beliefs.—
Theodore McDarrah,
Forbes,
5 Nov. 2024
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Although it was considered appropriately feminine for women to care for animals, women and femininity were also considered weaker, sillier, and more frivolous than men and masculinity; caring too much for other creatures came was considered a sign of fragility and triviality.—
Natalie Kinkade,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Sep. 2024
Noun
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This small change in the corner radius offers more practical real estate to show information on the S25 family compared to the Pixel 9 family.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
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One small change Yeado plans to make is to sell Gathering Place beers at Sahale and vice versa.—
Jordyn Noennig,
Journal Sentinel,
30 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near small beer
Cite this Entry
“Small beer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20beer. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
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