in a stew
idiom
informal
: excited, worried, or confused
He got himself in a stew over nothing.
She's been in a stew for days.
Examples of in a stew in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cookies won’t taste like a latte, but sort of like a bay leaf in a stew, the instant espresso powder rounds out the cookie with a subtle bitter background flavor that balances the sweetness of the dough.
—
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
While there is less liquid overall in a stew, the liquid itself is generally a bit thicker and richer than that of a soup.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Add to salads with quinoa, vegetables, spinach, and avocado for a complete meal balanced with healthy fat and protein.
Cook in a stew with prawns, bell pepper, garlic, and tomato for a savory, hearty dinner.
—Ana Morales, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2024
While most of it is cultural ephemera floating in a stew of inconsequential nonsense, footage from one Nickelodeon TV show has popped up on my algorithm and made a prominent reemergence in my life: Roundhouse.
—Eliot Glazer, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2024
Cuts of pork, beef and chicken meld in a stew with plantains, rounds of corn on the cob, winter squash and yautia, a root vegetable sometimes called malanga.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Along with crawfish, turkey necks braised in a stew is a Creole dish that has earned a rightful place in the Viet-Cajun canon.
—Dan Q. Dao, Chron, 9 Feb. 2023
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.
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
While there is less liquid overall in a stew, the liquid itself is generally a bit thicker and richer than that of a soup.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Add to salads with quinoa, vegetables, spinach, and avocado for a complete meal balanced with healthy fat and protein.
Cook in a stew with prawns, bell pepper, garlic, and tomato for a savory, hearty dinner.
—Ana Morales, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2024
While most of it is cultural ephemera floating in a stew of inconsequential nonsense, footage from one Nickelodeon TV show has popped up on my algorithm and made a prominent reemergence in my life: Roundhouse.
—Eliot Glazer, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2024
Cuts of pork, beef and chicken meld in a stew with plantains, rounds of corn on the cob, winter squash and yautia, a root vegetable sometimes called malanga.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Along with crawfish, turkey necks braised in a stew is a Creole dish that has earned a rightful place in the Viet-Cajun canon.
—Dan Q. Dao, Chron, 9 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“In a stew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20a%20stew. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share