as in hostility
informal
unfair criticism that comes from someone who is disappointed about not getting something
His remarks are nothing but sour grapes.
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Recent Examples of sour grapes
Philly flashbacks There was no shortage of hard feelings (and maybe some sour grapes) when the 49ers lost 31-7 in the NFC Championship Game following the 2022 season when Haason Reddick sacked Purdy and tore the UCL in his right elbow.
—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Without an admission of faults of one’s own, an outburst reads as sour grapes.
—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
16 Dec. 2025
Talk about turning sour grapes into good wine.
—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Nov. 2025
The success gap between them prompted some to see Ebeling’s Instagram post as sour grapes.
—
E. Alex Jung,
Vulture,
13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sour grapes
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Without an admission of faults of one’s own, an outburst reads as sour grapes.
—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
16 Dec. 2025
Talk about turning sour grapes into good wine.
—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Nov. 2025
The success gap between them prompted some to see Ebeling’s Instagram post as sour grapes.
—
E. Alex Jung,
Vulture,
13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sour grapes
Cite this Entry
“Sour grapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sour%20grapes. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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