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
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
After two-plus days of stewing over the no-show against the Rockets, including a team meeting on Saturday and a rare Sunday morning shootaround, the Lakers found themselves in the second quarter, with Doncic scoring 15 of his 24 first-half points in the period for a 68-53 halftime lead.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Add the stewing beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink, stirring frequently.
—Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 11 Dec. 2025
There is nothing this pot can’t do—braising, baking, stewing, frying.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025
It’s been more than a week and people are still stewing about it.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
Right now, Combs is still stewing in the MDC, but he is expected to be moved to a cushier and more low security facility in the NYC area in the near future.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
The sauce, a velvety broth, is a mixture of natural juices and stewing ingredients, sometimes thickened with flour.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
After two-plus days of stewing over the no-show against the Rockets, including a team meeting on Saturday and a rare Sunday morning shootaround, the Lakers found themselves in the second quarter, with Doncic scoring 15 of his 24 first-half points in the period for a 68-53 halftime lead.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Add the stewing beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink, stirring frequently.
—Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 11 Dec. 2025
There is nothing this pot can’t do—braising, baking, stewing, frying.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025
It’s been more than a week and people are still stewing about it.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
Right now, Combs is still stewing in the MDC, but he is expected to be moved to a cushier and more low security facility in the NYC area in the near future.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
The sauce, a velvety broth, is a mixture of natural juices and stewing ingredients, sometimes thickened with flour.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stewing
Verb
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Old or Previously Boiled Water Leaving water in your tea kettle and boiling it again won't do your tea any favors.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The boiling bin freezing especially scares me.—
Emily Elias,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And as for worrying about too much screen time, Woods has zero concerns.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The real media merger worth worrying about involves the control of local TV stations.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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The quintessential late-’80s teen, Ryder here plays a fretful mom.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The simmering dispute has become a geopolitical flashpoint between Washington and Beijing, with Panama caught in the crossfire.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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Inner lives and relationships are exposed through sideways glances, simmering moments of silence, and dialogue that cuts in multiple directions, revealing shifting tectonic plates of alliances and relationships.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These new tools, from the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI, have left investors fretting over whether AI will permanently disrupt their business models.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2026
-
China will be fretting over freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who fell short of gold at the Beijing Games four years ago.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
Brooding in the historical background are the plantations, the vexed issue of where the money comes from that underwrites all this charm, these impeccable manners, this unsteady gaiety.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stewing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stewing. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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