sweet-and-sour
adjective
: seasoned with a sauce containing sugar and vinegar or lemon juice
sweet-and-sour shrimp
Examples of sweet-and-sour in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The influx of sugar from Caribbean plantations into Europe and North America introduced sweet-and-sour pickling variations, while the triangular trade ensured that pickling traditions from Europe were carried to the New World.
—
Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
Spicy Marmalade Chicken and Sweet Potatoes The citrusy, sweet-and-sour sauce in this sheet-pan recipe gets caramelized by the oven’s high heat, coating chicken thighs and cubed sweet potatoes with a delightfully sticky glaze.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black offer a sort of sweet-and-sour mix.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
The saucy, swicy potatoes remind me of sticky Korean potatoes (aka Gamja Jorim)—a sweet-and-sour potato recipe that appears on many banchan spreads at Korean barbecue restaurants—just with a little southwestern flair.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025
Cooks use honey to sweeten and moisten baked goods, mellow vinaigrettes, and balance sweet-and-sour sauces.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
The first of the films is Blue Moon, a sweet-and-sour portrait of the lyricist Lorenz Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) melting down at a bar near the tail end of his Broadway career.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The social heart is Marcus Restaurant + Terrace by chef Marcus Samuelsson, where solarium-style windows and a leafy terrace create an airy urban backdrop for dishes like fresh pasta with lobster and chili or roasted eggplant with togarashi, sweet-and-sour sauce, and Québec maple syrup.
—Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025
The sweet-and-sour combination finds its way into other dishes as well.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
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.
Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
Spicy Marmalade Chicken and Sweet Potatoes The citrusy, sweet-and-sour sauce in this sheet-pan recipe gets caramelized by the oven’s high heat, coating chicken thighs and cubed sweet potatoes with a delightfully sticky glaze.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black offer a sort of sweet-and-sour mix.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
The saucy, swicy potatoes remind me of sticky Korean potatoes (aka Gamja Jorim)—a sweet-and-sour potato recipe that appears on many banchan spreads at Korean barbecue restaurants—just with a little southwestern flair.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025
Cooks use honey to sweeten and moisten baked goods, mellow vinaigrettes, and balance sweet-and-sour sauces.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
The first of the films is Blue Moon, a sweet-and-sour portrait of the lyricist Lorenz Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) melting down at a bar near the tail end of his Broadway career.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The social heart is Marcus Restaurant + Terrace by chef Marcus Samuelsson, where solarium-style windows and a leafy terrace create an airy urban backdrop for dishes like fresh pasta with lobster and chili or roasted eggplant with togarashi, sweet-and-sour sauce, and Québec maple syrup.
—Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025
The sweet-and-sour combination finds its way into other dishes as well.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sweet-and-sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet-and-sour. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
