as in spoon
a utensil with a bowl and a handle that is used especially in cooking and serving food
the chef looked around for a ladle to add the chicken broth to the pot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to scoop
to lift out with something that holds liquid
the server ladled out the soup from a large tureen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ladle
Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
Bathe the platter of seafood with a ladle of soup.
—Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 20 Feb. 2026
Spoon the grits into shallow bowls, ladle the shrimp and gravy on top, then garnish each serving with crisp bacon crumbles.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ladle
Noun
At the purification basin, visitors can use ladles of water to symbolically cleanse themselves and even their money.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
Bathe the platter of seafood with a ladle of soup.
—Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
Verb
And when the dipping slows down, the host can ladle the remaining broth into each guest’s bowl to signal the end of the hot pot portion of the meal.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 20 Feb. 2026
Spoon the grits into shallow bowls, ladle the shrimp and gravy on top, then garnish each serving with crisp bacon crumbles.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ladle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladle
Noun
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Bring to a simmer and cook until gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 minutes.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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Add chicken broth and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.—
Gretchen McKay,
Boston Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Isaiah Evans came through for a momentum-swinging slam and scooped five offensive boards from the wing.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
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Still, Microsoft’s threats to sue OpenAI — scooped by the FT — signify an escalating fight that won’t end particularly well if the two sides can’t hash out a deal.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ladle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladle. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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