as in snack
a small dish of food served before the main part of a meal
Shrimp with cocktail sauce were served as an appetizer.
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Recent Examples of appetizer
There will be light appetizers, wine, beer and a display of 17-foot wooden boards.
—
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Thursday night is going to be a nice little appetizer, so to speak.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Among the appetizers: dates stuffed with goat cheese and almonds and wrapped in bacon, a dish that his mom used to make back home in Northern Ireland.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
The show will be broadcast on YouTube. Usually, Stand & Deliver would be the appetizer for WrestleMania and take place the morning before Night 1 of WWE’s biggest premium live event of the year.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for appetizer
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Thursday night is going to be a nice little appetizer, so to speak.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Among the appetizers: dates stuffed with goat cheese and almonds and wrapped in bacon, a dish that his mom used to make back home in Northern Ireland.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
The show will be broadcast on YouTube. Usually, Stand & Deliver would be the appetizer for WrestleMania and take place the morning before Night 1 of WWE’s biggest premium live event of the year.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for appetizer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appetizer
Noun
-
The mini bar is stocked with complimentary non-alcoholic drinks, beers, ciders, wines, and snacks.—
Karla Walsh,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2026
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But nutrition experts say the right snack before bed can actually do more than take the edge off.—
Lynn Andriani,
Martha Stewart,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That’s habit disguised as taste.—
Maryam Ahmed,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
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Neighboring garlic can affect the taste of the herbs and hinder their growth.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its brunch menu features a variety of fun bites, sides and mains, such as Avocado Toast Flights; Wake and Gravy Poutine; and the Trenton Porkroll Benny made with two poached eggs, cracked pepper and melted cheddar over potato pancakes.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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Most pests make little nibbles on plants, but groundhogs take big bites out of tomatoes, cabbage heads, and other crops.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dual Edition, a mouthful of a chip that includes 64MB of 3D V-Cache on both processor dies, without the hybrid arrangement that has defined the other chips up until now.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
27 Mar. 2026
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Still, some marine mammals can’t resist a mouthful of unsalted goodness.—
Sara Kiley Watson,
Popular Science,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Most pests make little nibbles on plants, but groundhogs take big bites out of tomatoes, cabbage heads, and other crops.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
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Even when food is scarce, if a deer nibbles on a citrus plant, the bitter flavor usually prompts them to move on without fully consuming it.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Appetizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appetizer. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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