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.

When Vladimir Putin was captured by a hot mic telling Xi Jinping that humans could achieve immortality by replacing their organs, some dismissed the exchange as eccentric small talk between aging autocrats.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Imagine if you’re a nominee, getting shuttled to and fro, shaking hands and making small talk.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

The state is the kind of place where small talk about the weather turns into a half-hour conversation about life; a place where citizens greet or wave to strangers while driving or walking past them.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 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

In their coded exchanges they had drawn close, but how artificial that closeness seemed now as they embarked on their small talk, their helpless catechism of polite query and response.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan