as in trivialities
something of little importance
let us not speak of trifles when our nation may be going to war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in flirts
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
do not trifle with me unless you mean to ask me to marry you
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in plays
to spend time in aimless activity
spent a lazy afternoon trifling on the front porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of trifles
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
Strawberries are delicious in cobblers, trifles, and crisps.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
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
Verb
Bake off scraps of pie dough (either plain or with a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar) until golden and crisp, then crumble into sundaes, parfaits, trifles, and more.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
Strawberries are delicious in cobblers, trifles, and crisps.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trifles
Verb
-
Delivered with an ease that flirts with comedy, it can be taken as humor punctuating drama.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Opening with a melancholic harmonica that flirts with a country twang, the track feels unfiltered as Eric Aragón (real name) sings of regret and the sting of love gone wrong.—
Natalia Cano,
Billboard,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has a chance to join an exclusive group when his team plays the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
This commitment to efficiency extends into shelter support, where data plays a significant role.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Self-cleaning ovens use extreme heat to burn food residue into ash, but the process can create smoke and odors.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Firefighters used multiple ladder trucks to pour water on the fire, and smoke could be seen for miles.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Trifles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trifles. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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