: a brittle or chewy glazed usually salted slender bread often shaped like a loose knot
Examples of pretzel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The menu includes Sprecher beer and root beer, offerings from Third Space, New Glarus and 3 Sheeps breweries, cider, gluten-free options, NA drinks, and snacks, including hot dogs, brats and Bavarian pretzels.
—
Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
In terms of food, Napa Rose’s kitchen is dishing out far more than the standard theme park pretzel.
—Annemarie Dooling, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
Ferries will also begin to offer pretzels and popcorn as part of the expanding menu.
—Riley Rourke, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Listening to naysayers in Congress twist themselves into pretzels condemning the ayatollah and his brutal repressive regime, but offering no solutions whatsoever, has been disheartening.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
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Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
In terms of food, Napa Rose’s kitchen is dishing out far more than the standard theme park pretzel.
—Annemarie Dooling, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
Ferries will also begin to offer pretzels and popcorn as part of the expanding menu.
—Riley Rourke, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Listening to naysayers in Congress twist themselves into pretzels condemning the ayatollah and his brutal repressive regime, but offering no solutions whatsoever, has been disheartening.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretzel
Cite this Entry
“Pretzel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretzel. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pretzel
noun
pret·zel
ˈpret-səl 
: a brown cracker that is salted and usually hard and shaped like a loose knot
Etymology
from German Brezel "pretzel," derived from Latin brachiatus (adjective) "having branches like arms," from brachium, "arm" — related to brace entry 2
Word Origin
Pretzels were probably first made in the U.S. during the 19th century by immigrants from Germany. The English word pretzel comes from the German Brezel. The familiar knot-shaped pretzel has been known in Germanic countries for centuries. Its German name comes from the Latin brachiatus, which means "having branches like arms." The pretzel likely got its name because its knot shape looks something like a pair of folded arms.
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