as in small beer
something of little importance
our lives don't amount to a picayune in the great scheme of things
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picayunes
Noun
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In a world of deepfakes, ersatz eye contact is small beer.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026 -
Of course, a pipeline is small beer compared to the world’s largest island, Greenland, laden with energy resources and rare earths.—
Llewellyn King,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The same report found that these fires are worsening air quality in many part of the country due to wildfire smoke, which is a mixture of gases, water vapor, air pollutants and fine particulate matter.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Jay Mitchell’s deputy, Jennifer Carbajal, and a woman named Jennifer Sanchez, identified in local news reports as her ex-wife, also received $267,000 for smoke and ash cleaning and for flooding at a consulting business in Pendaries, New Mexico, the records show.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Apparently even a small change in fabric can lead to big jumping gains, which is why suits are closely monitored by regulating agencies.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
6 Feb. 2026
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Figure skating provides another striking example where small changes in body positioning can dramatically affect the athlete’s performance.—
Amy Pope,
The Conversation,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Berkhout highlights how this binary language is translated into computer language through zeros and ones used for programming.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
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According to the latest bound, proved in 2004 by Imre Ruzsa of the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics in Hungary, a sum of 1020 cosines — that’s a 1 with 20 zeros after it, about the number of molecules in a cubic inch of air — must have a minimum value smaller than about −7.—
Leila Sloman,
Quanta Magazine,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Enjoy them as-is, in fruit trifles or parfaits, as part of a fruit salsa or salad, or blended into smoothies.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Jan. 2026
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Sky-high trifles, rich and creamy puddings, homemade candy– the holidays are a great time for decadent desserts.—
Krissy Tiglias,
Southern Living,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And since leaving prison in early January, the preacher has wasted no time in spreading his gospel in a tranche of new songs published on his social media platforms.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Unlike many of his Latin pop predecessors, who released songs in English in hopes of broadening their audience, the singer has not recorded any full-length English material across his six studio albums.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Picayunes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picayunes. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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