steam
verb
steamed; steaming; steams
1
: to give out as fumes : exhale
2
: to apply steam to
especially
: to expose to the action of steam (as for softening or cooking)
1
: to rise or pass off as vapor
2
: to give off steam or vapor
3
a
: to move or travel by the agency of steam
The ship steamed into port.
b
: to move or proceed with energy or force
steamed into the room shouting orders
4
: to be angry : boil
was steaming over the insult
Examples of steam in a Sentence
a steaming bowl of soup
She prefers to steam carrots rather than boil them.
Their breath steamed the windows.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kuih means little sweet snacks that can be steamed, fried or baked and are all bite-sized.
—
Julie Lin, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 June 2026
The menu reads like a love letter to the nearby ocean, with a raw bar serving oysters and littleneck clams by the half-dozen and steaming bowls of clam chowder.
—Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026
Dale thought of the donuts and wondered if steaming them in their combination oven would consistently bake them all the way through.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
By the time engineers realized the issue was a systemic structural fault across the entire fleet, the cargo ship was already halfway across the Atlantic, steaming toward Brazil.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for steam
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Julie Lin, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 June 2026
The menu reads like a love letter to the nearby ocean, with a raw bar serving oysters and littleneck clams by the half-dozen and steaming bowls of clam chowder.
—Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026
Dale thought of the donuts and wondered if steaming them in their combination oven would consistently bake them all the way through.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
By the time engineers realized the issue was a systemic structural fault across the entire fleet, the cargo ship was already halfway across the Atlantic, steaming toward Brazil.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for steam
Cite this Entry
“Steam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steam. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
steam
1 of 2 noun
1
a
: the invisible vapor into which water is changed when heated to the boiling point
b
: the mist formed when water vapor cools
2
: water vapor kept under pressure so as to supply energy for heating, cooking, or mechanical work
also
: the power so generated
3
a
: driving force : power
arrived under their own steam
b
: built-up tension
let off a little steam
steam
2 of 2 verb1
: to rise or pass off as vapor
2
: to give off steam or vapor
3
: to move or travel by or as if by the power of steam
steamed up the river
4
: to be angry : boil
was steaming over the insult
5
: to expose to the action of steam (as for softening or cooking)
steamed clams
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