1
as in discussions
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
seemingly endless palaver between the negotiating parties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in chats
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
we should get together and have a nice palaver sometime
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in talks
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
mothers palavering and drinking coffee while watching their children play
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in coaxes
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palavers
Noun
-
Already ongoing for days ahead of the visit, discussions about handling security intensified after a heavily armed man sprinted through security and got yards away from the banquet hall crowded with about 2,000 journalists, federal officials and celebrities before he was tackled to the ground.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026 -
In the streets of Washington, word of the alarming development spread through discussions with rideshare drivers and in the overheard comments of tuxedoed attendees who blurted out comments in smartphone conversations while walking away from the original site of the dinner.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Part of the problem for investigators was that Kik chats were only preserved for 30 days.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
This allowed the attackers to read past chats, follow ongoing conversations and even see address books and other data stored by the users.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Below, Weisman talks with THR about the difficult conversations in the writers’ room about presenting the interracial friend group onscreen, considering an alternative killer and the message the series sends about the danger shame and secrets pose to women.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Ahead, Fields talks determination in pursuit of a dream, following your instincts and fostering relationships.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s perhaps for the best, given the ongoing discussions surrounding AI psychosis, a troubling trend that has caused an alarming wave of mental health crises as the tech coaxes some users into spirals of paranoid and delusional behavior.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Amid these absurdities, Manuel coaxes out the cruelty of the resort’s hierarchies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Immigration attorney Amandeep Hayer said his Vancouver, British Columbia-area practice went from about 200 citizenship cases a year to more than 20 consultations per day.—
Sarah Raza,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Problems with the engines were noticed weeks before, but after days of maintenance work and consultations with the manufacturer, the corrosion was not found and the plane was allowed to keep flying, the NTSB said.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Insider Ian Rapoport will update those three with league chatter and trade buzz.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Their laughs and chatter fill the countryside and one another’s hearts, the merriment binding them all together like caterpillars in one big cocoon.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Epstein converses with Summers Larry Summers, Clinton’s Treasury secretary and the director of the National Economic Council under former President Obama, corresponded with Epstein numerous times via email.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Because debates, facts, and accountability cut through the packaging every single time.—
Heather Somers,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The debates were a nod to the foundation on which Turning Point was built.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Palavers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palavers. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
