cups

noun

plural of cup
as in mugs
a round vessel equipped with a handle and designed for drinking a large cup that can hold almost a pint of hot chocolate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cups For Japanese-style short-grain white rice, a rough stovetop starting point is 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of water per cup of rice. — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 And so one New Year’s Day, when Andrews and her friends set out on a tour of the area’s Chinese restaurants, the men—unbeknownst to her—collected a few plates here and a few cups there. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 Kerri Gordon with Mission BBQ is raising money for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation by selling promotional cups to help make the development a reality. — Joan Murray, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together 3 cups flour and 1 1/2 tsp. — Hali Bey Ramdene, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2026 Kolaches and a batch of salsa in portion cups were using time as a public health control but were not marked with a time removed from temperature control or a discard time. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 The same could be said for styrofoam cups and containers near the steam table. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 Men of honor, with full-body tattoos and missing fingers, exchanging sake cups in elaborate brotherhood rituals, were becoming a bit passé, even as a fantasy. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in 1½ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour with a rubber spatula, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until no large, dry streaks of flour remain. — Tanya Bush, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cups
  1. mugs
  2. goblets
Noun
  • Drawing from the Renaissance game’s design and motif, there are playful talismans — geese, dragonflies, clovers, horseshoes, dice, keys and ladybugs — across trays, teapots, mugs, boxes, miniatures and espresso sets.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Ceramicist Lalese Stamps, who first earned a cult following by creating 100 mugs with 100 different handles, brings that same playful approach to this line’s organic shapes, inspired by puddles after rain.
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of mugs
Noun
  • While the world’s grand dining rooms served Champagne and Bordeaux in elegant crystal stemware, corner bistros and local trattorias poured even their best wines into clunky glass goblets.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Matching china sets, crystal glassware, extra water goblets, champagne flutes, and specialized wine glasses can take up a lot of space.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of goblets

Phrases Containing cups

Browse Nearby Words

cuppy
cups
cups of tea
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cups. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All