as in petty
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Recent Examples of small-time
His film follows a young, small-time hood named Michel Poiccard (Jean-Paul Belmondo) who steals a car, accidentally shoots a cop, then spends the next few days in Paris hanging out with his American sort-of girlfriend, Patricia Franchini (Jean Seberg).
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Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025
In it, James Franco portrays Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus magician who’s transported from Kansas to the Land of Oz — where residents expect a great and powerful wizard to take over as ruler.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
There are big-time rituals, like communion, and small-time ones, like shaking hands, or dapping up, or standing at the front of a conference room and clearing your throat.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
Redford was also nominated for best actor for his performance as a small-time con artist out for revenge against a big-city gambler (played by Robert Shaw).
—David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for small-time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small-time
Adjective
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Angel went for a respectful middle-of-the-road jab — complimenting her parenting and resilience, but maligning her for being petty.—
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Who is not petty or vindictive.—
Adjective
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The gain from a call option would exceed the return on the stock alone, but involves greater risk than simply buying the stock because the contracts can expire worthless.—
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When Ukraine agreed to give up the nuclear weapons on its soil in the mid-1990s, Russia provided a security guarantee that proved worthless.—
Adjective
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The nickel-and-dime crack sales; the tickets for open containers — none of that mattered anymore.—
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With a comfy 16-point cushion entering the fourth quarter, though, Adelman turned to Jordan again to nickel-and-dime Jokic a few minutes of rest.—
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.—
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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.—
Cite this Entry
“Small-time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-time. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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