as in snacks
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 appetizers
The event also included gourmet appetizers, craft cocktails, live music and guest speakers, including county District Attorney Summer Stephan.
—
La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
The menu includes other appetizers from the grill like chorizo, sweetbreads and romanesco and raw bar selections like beef or tuna tartare, octopus carpaccio, hamachi and oysters.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Lunch opens with an aged white tea scented with orange peel and red dates prepared by one of the restaurant’s tea sommeliers, followed by a trio of precise appetizers, including a silky square of chicken topped with a carpet of impossibly finely cut chives.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Sophomore Joseph Boi Thang handles the protein, junior Paola Silverio-Chino prepares the entrees, and junior Vanessa Martinez is in charge of the appetizers.
—Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
These five-ingredient appetizers will become a staple on any game day or holiday menu.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
Serve appetizers or a cheese board on this acacia platter.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
Sushi lovers can choose from nigiri, rolls and a slew of raw bar appetizers, while the fish-averse and vegetarians can enjoy other meat-based or veggie entrées.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Its design is ambiguous enough that a pasta bowl could also be a salad bowl or a vessel for appetizers.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2026
La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
The menu includes other appetizers from the grill like chorizo, sweetbreads and romanesco and raw bar selections like beef or tuna tartare, octopus carpaccio, hamachi and oysters.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Lunch opens with an aged white tea scented with orange peel and red dates prepared by one of the restaurant’s tea sommeliers, followed by a trio of precise appetizers, including a silky square of chicken topped with a carpet of impossibly finely cut chives.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Sophomore Joseph Boi Thang handles the protein, junior Paola Silverio-Chino prepares the entrees, and junior Vanessa Martinez is in charge of the appetizers.
—Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
These five-ingredient appetizers will become a staple on any game day or holiday menu.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
Serve appetizers or a cheese board on this acacia platter.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
Sushi lovers can choose from nigiri, rolls and a slew of raw bar appetizers, while the fish-averse and vegetarians can enjoy other meat-based or veggie entrées.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Its design is ambiguous enough that a pasta bowl could also be a salad bowl or a vessel for appetizers.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appetizers
Noun
-
Families can also borrow toys to bring home, and return to enjoy snacks and amenities.—
Megan Shinn,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
For something quick, the hotel’s market stocks local wine and beer alongside snacks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond game day wings, customers can expect pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and salads, among other classic bar bites.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Bricken started over at age 50 and worked 20-hour days to build the cookie dough empire that produces more than a million cookie dough and gelato bites every single week.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The key is choosing items that reflect her daily rituals and specific tastes rather than grabbing whatever is generic and available.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
As far as customization goes, Matouk excels in designing high-quality bath towels that suit all tastes.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 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
-
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
Noun
-
The possibility of a Chase and Taylor flirtation causing a rift with Miranda is briefly raised and just as swiftly quashed — through large mouthfuls of chips and salsa, Taylor assures Miranda at the sip-and-see that there is no there there.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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But now, the future of Lucille’s American Cafe, a Weston comfort-food institution serving up mouthfuls of nostalgia since 1999, is unclear.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Appetizers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appetizers. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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