as in spoons
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 scoops
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of ladles
Mina Dragani,
Architectural Digest,
18 June 2026
Scientists say that shells of reptiles caught by children may have been used as ladles or digging devices by early humans over 100,000 years ago.
—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
While quickly whisking the eggs, add a few ladles of the hot soup to the egg mixture to temper the mixture and bring it up to temperature without scrambling the eggs.
—
Hailee Catalano,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
One of the restaurant’s quirkier dishes, The Stretch, tops a bowl of hash browns and eggs with generous ladles of that chili.
—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2026
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
At Curry in a Hurry, Sajjad Chowdhury ladles steaming goat curry into a bowl for a customer while reflecting on the news the very building where investigators say the high-stakes poker games took place is just a block away.
—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Bowls of punch arrive laced with unusual flavors—jasmine tea, oak moss, and cardamom—served in ladles rather than glasses.
—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
While technically designed for spoons, these savvy kitchen accessories earn their keep with salad tongs, soup ladles, and other tools that need a place to land mid-recipe.
—
Mina Dragani,
Architectural Digest,
18 June 2026
Scientists say that shells of reptiles caught by children may have been used as ladles or digging devices by early humans over 100,000 years ago.
—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
While quickly whisking the eggs, add a few ladles of the hot soup to the egg mixture to temper the mixture and bring it up to temperature without scrambling the eggs.
—
Hailee Catalano,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
One of the restaurant’s quirkier dishes, The Stretch, tops a bowl of hash browns and eggs with generous ladles of that chili.
—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2026
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
At Curry in a Hurry, Sajjad Chowdhury ladles steaming goat curry into a bowl for a customer while reflecting on the news the very building where investigators say the high-stakes poker games took place is just a block away.
—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Bowls of punch arrive laced with unusual flavors—jasmine tea, oak moss, and cardamom—served in ladles rather than glasses.
—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Once the brine is boiling, Hilarides carefully ladles it in each jar over the ingredients.
—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladles
Noun
-
Knives and dinner spoons go on the right.
-
While technically designed for spoons, these savvy kitchen accessories earn their keep with salad tongs, soup ladles, and other tools that need a place to land mid-recipe.
Verb
-
The fawn jumps at Officer Roy, who scoops the baby deer up, catching it in the crook of his arm.
-
The small red-and-white shop, covered in floral decor, also scoops gelato.
Cite this Entry
“Ladles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladles. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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