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 menu includes drunken noodles with Chinese broccoli, peppers, onions and Thai basil in soy sauce; lo mein, with egg noodles, cabbage and vegetables in XO sauce, and rice dishes such as General Tso's chicken and sweet-and-sour chicken.
—
Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 30 July 2025
This fruity duo delivers a refreshing sweet-and-sour summer combination.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 18 July 2025
They’re sliced thin and pressed, extracting liquid, dressed in the sweet-and-sour mixture, and left to sit for a few hours before serving.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 19 June 2025
Tomatoes are anything but, which means that their sweet-and-sour juices can energize a can of tuna in raw or cooked form.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
The doughnut envelops a Dungeness crab and scallion cream cheese filling spiked with a Thai-style sweet-and-sour sauce, and is crowned with a wonton chip.
—Mehr Singh, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Immediately, your tongue is filled with a sweet-and-sour tang.
—Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025
The standout dish of the meal was a simple preparation of leeks that was topped with oozy stracciatella cheese, an herbaceous sweet-and-sour vinaigrette shot through with tarragon, and the toasty crunch of hazelnuts.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 Dec. 2024
Adams excels at that sweet-and-sour paradox, and Marielle Heller’s adaptation succeeds in capturing the acerbic humor of Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
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.
Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 30 July 2025
This fruity duo delivers a refreshing sweet-and-sour summer combination.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 18 July 2025
They’re sliced thin and pressed, extracting liquid, dressed in the sweet-and-sour mixture, and left to sit for a few hours before serving.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 19 June 2025
Tomatoes are anything but, which means that their sweet-and-sour juices can energize a can of tuna in raw or cooked form.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
The doughnut envelops a Dungeness crab and scallion cream cheese filling spiked with a Thai-style sweet-and-sour sauce, and is crowned with a wonton chip.
—Mehr Singh, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Immediately, your tongue is filled with a sweet-and-sour tang.
—Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025
The standout dish of the meal was a simple preparation of leeks that was topped with oozy stracciatella cheese, an herbaceous sweet-and-sour vinaigrette shot through with tarragon, and the toasty crunch of hazelnuts.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 Dec. 2024
Adams excels at that sweet-and-sour paradox, and Marielle Heller’s adaptation succeeds in capturing the acerbic humor of Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Sweet-and-sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet-and-sour. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share