Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for a few. Search instead for In+few.
Synonyms

a few

Idioms  

  1. A small number of persons or things. This phrase can differ slightly from few used alone, which means “not many.” For example, The party was to end at eight, but a few stayed on indicates that a small number of guests remained, whereas The party began at eight, and few attended means that hardly any guests came. [Late 1200s] Also see quite a bit (few).

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.

Hotels have been experimenting with QR codes and other digital tipping options for more than a few years now because many of us don’t carry cash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

On the arm of the sofa, where he had been seated just minutes before retreating into his bedroom for a few minutes of shut-eye, was a block of brown and white ice.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

"I found out that he became a member of the Nazi Party around 21st of April 1938, just a few days after the Anschluss," when Adolf Hitler annexed Austria to Germany, he said.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

You can lower your exposure with a few simple habits:

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

In a few moments Jop reappeared, making a very pretty brunette in long coat and kerchief, a fur muff hiding his hands.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Definitions 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.