as in fretting
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in boiling
to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam
stew the chicken till tender, and then remove the meat from the bones
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in worrying
to experience concern or anxiety
stop stewing over that game and just try to do better next time
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stewing
CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The tomatoes for the shakshouka have been stewing for hours.
—Liam Scott, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2026
But South Carolina’s returners have spent a year stewing on that championship loss, specifically on UConn’s 23-point margin of victory.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Hughes spent weeks stewing before calling director Howie Deutsch with the solution.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
However, Nicky has spent this time stewing over their relationship as well and ultimately refuses to marry Rachel at the altar.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 26 Mar. 2026
After nine episodes spent stewing in suspicion, the CBS legal drama has released the tension from one of its biggest secrets and forced Julian into action.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2026
Short cooking preparations of okra, such as frying or sauteeing, release less mucilage than long ones, such as stewing.
—Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
Not so Wolverhampton Wanderers or West Ham United, who really are stewing in their own juices.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
The Detroit Red Wings sat on the bench, stewing in stunned silence, after their latest loss sealed their fate as a franchise relegated to watching the NHL playoffs on TV.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The tomatoes for the shakshouka have been stewing for hours.
—Liam Scott, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2026
But South Carolina’s returners have spent a year stewing on that championship loss, specifically on UConn’s 23-point margin of victory.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Hughes spent weeks stewing before calling director Howie Deutsch with the solution.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
However, Nicky has spent this time stewing over their relationship as well and ultimately refuses to marry Rachel at the altar.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 26 Mar. 2026
After nine episodes spent stewing in suspicion, the CBS legal drama has released the tension from one of its biggest secrets and forced Julian into action.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2026
Short cooking preparations of okra, such as frying or sauteeing, release less mucilage than long ones, such as stewing.
—Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
Not so Wolverhampton Wanderers or West Ham United, who really are stewing in their own juices.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stewing
Verb
-
For an even deeper sweetness and flavor, oven roast the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Quinn got that blood boiling on a chilly Monday, powering a two-run homer over the left-center fence to spark the host Mustangs to a 9-4 nonconference win in a game that was moved to Chicago because of wet conditions at Oak Forest.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But manufacturers are also worrying about survival.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
For nine days, a young wolf named Neukgu had all of South Korea watching, worrying and hoping.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The outrageous antics revolving around the experiences of fretful teen prodigy Malcolm were always anchored by his family’s tight bond.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a fine, touching performance, however, from Showko Showfukutei as Hana’s loving but fretful mother, desperately concerned for her daughter’s well-being but inclined to show love only through unrequired domestic service.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the sanitized and alienating new surrounds, with the camaraderie of the early Hyperion days but a faint memory, long-simmering discontent about working conditions wouldn’t take long to boil over.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Bone Broth Bone broth is made by simmering bones and connective tissue.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The accusations reordered a wide-open gubernatorial race that had Democrats fretting the party’s large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November.—
MIchael R. Blood,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Increasingly, teachers and schools fretting over students using artificial intelligence to complete their assignments are turning to AI detectors to catch would-be cheaters.—
Nathan Agranovsky,
Washington Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Now he’s got an Olivier for it — and so do John Lithgow, swaying ominously in the breeze as the vexed figure of the title, and Eliot Levey, playing Dahl’s British publisher, Tom Maschler.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Freezing the landscape in time is what the people of Vermont, and not merely tourists, want, but it’s also left residents with a vexed regard for visitors.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stewing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stewing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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