sweet-and-sour
adjective
: seasoned with a sauce containing sugar and vinegar or lemon juice
sweet-and-sour shrimp
Examples of sweet-and-sour in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pile these sweet-and-sour onion strips on hot dogs, hamburgers, or sandwiches.
—
Hannah Agran,
Midwest Living,
26 June 2026
Made with a mix of hazy, golden Bavarian-style hefeweizen and tangy, sweet-and-sour grapefruit soda, this beer features aromas of citrus zest and banana bread, and is a great option to sip poolside or during a camping trip.
—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
25 June 2026
Cooks use honey to sweeten and moisten baked goods, mellow vinaigrettes, and balance sweet-and-sour sauces.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
That said, watching the sweet-and-sour sauce flying in slow motion is actually quite amusing.
—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
The influx of sugar from Caribbean plantations into Europe and North America introduced sweet-and-sour pickling variations, while the triangular trade ensured that pickling traditions from Europe were carried to the New World.
—
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black offer a sort of sweet-and-sour mix.
—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
24 Feb. 2026
The saucy, swicy potatoes remind me of sticky Korean potatoes (aka Gamja Jorim)—a sweet-and-sour potato recipe that appears on many banchan spreads at Korean barbecue restaurants—just with a little southwestern flair.
—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Dec. 2025
The first of the films is Blue Moon, a sweet-and-sour portrait of the lyricist Lorenz Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) melting down at a bar near the tail end of his Broadway career.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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.
Hannah Agran,
Midwest Living,
26 June 2026
Made with a mix of hazy, golden Bavarian-style hefeweizen and tangy, sweet-and-sour grapefruit soda, this beer features aromas of citrus zest and banana bread, and is a great option to sip poolside or during a camping trip.
—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
25 June 2026
Cooks use honey to sweeten and moisten baked goods, mellow vinaigrettes, and balance sweet-and-sour sauces.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
That said, watching the sweet-and-sour sauce flying in slow motion is actually quite amusing.
—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
The influx of sugar from Caribbean plantations into Europe and North America introduced sweet-and-sour pickling variations, while the triangular trade ensured that pickling traditions from Europe were carried to the New World.
—
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black offer a sort of sweet-and-sour mix.
—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
24 Feb. 2026
The saucy, swicy potatoes remind me of sticky Korean potatoes (aka Gamja Jorim)—a sweet-and-sour potato recipe that appears on many banchan spreads at Korean barbecue restaurants—just with a little southwestern flair.
—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Dec. 2025
The first of the films is Blue Moon, a sweet-and-sour portrait of the lyricist Lorenz Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) melting down at a bar near the tail end of his Broadway career.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sweet-and-sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet-and-sour. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
