mom-and-pop

adjective

ˈmäm-ən(d)-ˈpäp How to pronounce mom-and-pop (audio)
1
: being or relating to a small owner-operated business
a mom-and-pop grocery
2
: small-scale

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.
See our article about the Burleson stretch of firework stands with both small mom-and-pop shops and the big corporations. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2026 Just outside downtown, this narrow stretch of former warehouses is now lined with markets, mom-and-pop shops and restaurants that spill onto the sidewalks all summer long. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 19 June 2026 Meanwhile, some restaurant owners and hospitality experts argue the law will create undue burdens on mom-and-pop businesses (such as paying to reprint menus). — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 27 June 2026 That retail enthusiasm was specific to SpaceX and did not reflect a large overall surge in single-stock activity among these mom-and-pop investors. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 15 June 2026 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

Rhymes for mom-and-pop

See All Rhymes for mom-and-pop

Browse Nearby Words

MOM
mom-and-pop
Mombasa
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mom-and-pop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mom-and-pop. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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