1
: being or relating to a small owner-operated business
a mom-and-pop grocery
2

Examples of mom-and-pop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The home renovation industry has already swallowed price increases and made supply-chain shifts where possible, professionals say, and higher prices will now hit consumers, likely slowing growth in a part of the economy that’s made up of lots of small, even mom-and-pop, businesses. Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025 Locals see Say Cheese as an example of the mom-and-pop stores that make Silver Lake special. Karla Marie Sanford, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025 The cost of beef is volatile, and Henkes said that these value steakhouse chains have an advantage over mom-and-pop shops because their corporate procurement offices negotiate food costs in advance. Ryan Baker, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2025 What began as a humble mom-and-pop grocer and butcher shop a century ago is now a well-greased sausage factory, selling its products to big-name distributors such as Shamrock Foods, US Foods and Sysco, which get them to major sporting venues such as Ball Arena and Coors Field. Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mom-and-pop

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of mom-and-pop was in 1945

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Cite this Entry

“Mom-and-pop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mom-and-pop. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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