meal

noun

ˈmēl How to pronounce meal (audio)
Definition of mealnext
as in menu
food eaten or prepared for eating at one time all she wants to do is sit quietly after the large Thanksgiving meal

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 meal Finke also adds avocado to get healthy fat in the meal as well. — Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 In response, the 34-year-old said she's cut back on purchasing meals at restaurants or from fast-food chains. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 But a few months after her first birthday, Karuna began refusing meals. — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026 Chocolate moelleux and tropical sorbet, both elevated with a flavoured crumble (cardamom and lime, respectively) finished off the meal with a satisfying hit of sweetness. — Julia Wytrazek, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for meal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meal
  1. menu
  2. dinner
  3. lunch
  4. feed
  5. repast
  6. supper
Noun
  • Some of the pizzeria’s signature pies are an Indian garlic chicken pizza, a chicken curry pizza, a chicken Tikki masala pizza, and a vegetable masala pizza, according to its online menu.
    — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The brasserie has Provençal leanings evident in a few of the menu’s flourishes—crisp triangular panisses with a garlicky aioli, a pinky-peach sauce algérienne for dipping your fries.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of menu
Noun
  • Salvia Terrace & Bar is open daily for breakfast and lunch, while Violetto serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Serve it over rice or noodles or all by its lonesome for a hearty dinner that will take you back to the '90s.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of dinner
Noun
  • The hope was that Main Street, which is a breakfast and lunch spot, would allow Jose to spend more time at home.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • My own mother ordered a nonalcoholic Phony Negroni at lunch last week.
    — Sara Vilkomerson, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of lunch
Noun
  • The men talked about who would assault the woman beforehand, took photos and recorded the assault, which was also seen on a security system feed at the home in Sullivan's Island, an affluent suburb of Charleston, state agents said.
    — MEG KINNARD, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Videos generated by artificial intelligence about the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, which left 13 people dead, are appearing in social media feeds.
    — Meagan Harris, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of feed
Noun
  • Detroit police are investigating a gunfight that left two men injured Saturday evening at a repast on the city's east side.
    — Nick Lentz, CBS News, 15 June 2026
  • In a larger context, this quintessentially Bengali phrase has come to mean a repast of tea and snacks that encompasses a tradition deeply ingrained in the culture.
    — Madhushree Basu Roy, Saveur, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of repast
Noun
  • Only light regional dishes and bites such as croquettes, Cinco Jotas ham, cheese, and quince, along with Rioja Alavesa wine, are served for lunch or supper via the Delicatessen or Egukzi Soro Bar and Garden (or room service).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Bella chews him out for punching Angus in the face right before Angus’s big presentation, which Johnny knew about because they were supposed to throw a return supper for him, a dinner Johnny was supposed to cook.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of supper

Browse Nearby Words

meagerness
meal
meals
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Meal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meal. 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

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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