1
as in discussion
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
seemingly endless palaver between the negotiating parties
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2
as in chatter
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
we should get together and have a nice palaver sometime
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to chat
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
mothers palavering and drinking coffee while watching their children play
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to coax
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
I let the salesclerk at the electronics store palaver me into a service contract that I didn't need
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of palaver
Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024
The palaver about Prime Minister Liz Truss’s failed tax-cut plan has obscured the way Mr. Bailey politicized the British central bank.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 Oct. 2022
Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for palaver
Noun
And to listen to them is to be privy to some of the most easily ignored palaver the global economic elite has to offer.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024
The palaver about Prime Minister Liz Truss’s failed tax-cut plan has obscured the way Mr. Bailey politicized the British central bank.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 Oct. 2022
Verb
On the one hand, Hrabal’s palavering bears a direct relation to reality.
—Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for palaver
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palaver
Noun
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Gender must be at the core of climate finance planning and national accountability, not an afterthought or token discussion.—
Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Her feelings on the country’s hard-right swing were not articulated during the discussion, but they were certainly alluded to.—
Mikey O'Connell,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Bong Joon-ho is addressing chatter about Donald Trump being the inspiration behind Mark Ruffalo‘s villainous character in Mickey 17.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2025
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Over the years, the filmmaker and Kraven the Hunter actor have had to navigate the chatter around their age difference.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The couple went into his restaurant, Jinja Bar & Bistro, in the early 2000s, and ended up chatting with Lanham and the other owners, Lanham said.—
Nathan Solis,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
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Stopping on the red carpet to chat with E!, Saldaña praised the fashion duo for always putting creativity first.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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That means there are, at last, some bears and some cash, that can be coaxed back in with a cessation of presidential economic intervention.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2025
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According to a post from Zoraida, Violeta spent 45 minutes coaxing the scared dog into her car.—
Rhiannon Saegert,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Swiss government opened the consultation process on a new Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) agreement to provide for the automatic and reciprocal exchange of information between Swiss and U.S. tax authorities.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Younger patients are booking consultations, as well.—
Elycia Rubin,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But tensions between Trump and Zelensky rose after Trump opened a dialogue with Putin over negotiating a ceasefire deal without initially including Ukraine in the talks.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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The halt in aid will remain in place until Trump determines Zelensky has made a commitment to seeking peace talks, one official said, in what is essentially an attempt to force Ukraine to the negotiating table by threatening further losses on the battlefield.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Inspired by Ray Kurtzweil’s book, How to Create a Mind, Dara worked on capturing his grandfather’s wisdom in code, enabling him to converse with and immortalize him through a digital twin.—
Dr. Jonathan Reichental,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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Both features are part of Project Astra, Google’s multimodal AI assistant that can detect what’s around it and converse with users.—
Jibin Joseph,
PCMAG,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Macron has been pushing Europe to hold a debate on the role that French nuclear weapons can play in the continent's defense, which could pressure the U.K. to follow suit.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
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The film, which won big at the Golden Globes, was previously embroiled in controversy over its use of artificial intelligence in dialect, with Corbet giving an assertive defense of his performers amid the debate.—
Sandra Gonzalez,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Palaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palaver. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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