small talk

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The small talk of a taxi ride is the beating heart of British chit-chat - a soundtrack to thousands of journeys across London and beyond.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

The 44-year-old listened to her colleagues’ speeches and those of other hopefuls, made small talk with fellow members and then left.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

The question is nothing more than a politician’s well-worn small talk, but Travis says, gravely, “You should clean up this city here.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Food does what small talk so often can’t: it lowers the stakes, signals goodwill, and creates a tiny bridge where there was previously just a hallway.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026

Daylight, and the banality of family small talk, would dispel whatever impact she had made as a ghostly illuminated apparition.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan