stewing 1 of 2

adjective

as in fretting

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stewing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stew
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stewing
Verb
Idda takes an epic approach to unearthing the packed layers of a stewing friendship. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 July 2026 Roasting, stewing, baking—those are all great ways to make okra. — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 13 July 2026 This idea’s been stewing in my brain ever since. — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026 Something about her kept stewing in my head. — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 1 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stewing
  1. fretful
  2. boiling
  3. worrying
  4. vexed
  5. simmering
  6. fretting
Adjective
  • The game, like most finals, was a fretful affair, played under a brain-altering gaze.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The fretful electronic score is by Flying Lotus, Elliot Leung and Olivia Xiaolin.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of fretful
Verb
  • Stir into the boiling milk and boil on low heat until thick, stirring all the time.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The utter carnage that follows brings major developments for all the main characters still on the chessboard — and many gruesome deaths by dragon fire, boiling oil, spikes and even catapults.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of boiling
Verb
  • The trick is to avoid second-guessing, worrying, griping or doing other things that waste time, according to Schore.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Unanswered emails can make people feel ignored or disrespected, or jump to worrying or envisioning worst-case scenarios, such as being on the brink of getting laid off or fired.
    — Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of worrying
Adjective
  • How to do that was a very vexed and complicated problem.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
  • From his perspective, whatever happened was easily resolved — but working on a megahit can make matters more vexed.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
Definition of vexed
Verb
  • Within the lab, three current and one former employee told Fortune tensions were already simmering.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Stir to combine and cook until the tomatoes are simmering, about 1 minute.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of simmering
Verb
  • The machine works using a series of gears, magnetic actuators, and arms in a mechanical structure split into the equivalent of a musician's fretting hand and picking hand.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026
  • National Democrats are fretting that John Fetterman will switch parties.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of fretting

Browse Nearby Words

stewed
stewing
stews
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Cite this Entry

“Stewing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stewing. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stewing

Nglish: Translation of stewing for Spanish Speakers

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