small-bore
Americanadjective
-
of, noting, or relating to a .22-caliber firearm.
-
insular or parochial in scope, attitude, etc..
small-bore officials.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of small-bore
First recorded in 1895–1900
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Once a small-bore banana republic marked by political instability, its weak institutions, rampant corruption and attractive location made it a target for gangsters looking to create a transit hub.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson evoke the small-bore unraveling of new parenthood in the boonies, with Lawrence in particular throwing her whole body into a creeping alienation from one’s spouse and oneself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025
During our call, all Hochman’s gee-whiz energy was directed toward the small-bore changes that he feels, collectively, make the restaurant a better place to work.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2025
Yes, it was militantly anti-message, building small-bore farces around four single, child-free New Yorkers who had an inordinate amount of time to sit in a diner.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
Any system that constricts teachers—holds them to small-bore metrics, punishes them for forces outside their control, discourages their creativity and spontaneity, chips away at their humanity—is a bad system.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
