as in spoons
a utensil with a bowl and a handle that is used especially in cooking and serving food
the chef looked around for a ladle to add the chicken broth to the pot
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in scoops
to lift out with something that holds liquid
the server ladled out the soup from a large tureen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ladles
Hailee Catalano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Jan. 2026
One of the restaurant’s quirkier dishes, The Stretch, tops a bowl of hash browns and eggs with generous ladles of that chili.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2026
At the purification basin, visitors can use ladles of water to symbolically cleanse themselves and even their money.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
At Curry in a Hurry, Sajjad Chowdhury ladles steaming goat curry into a bowl for a customer while reflecting on the news the very building where investigators say the high-stakes poker games took place is just a block away.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Bowls of punch arrive laced with unusual flavors—jasmine tea, oak moss, and cardamom—served in ladles rather than glasses.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
While quickly whisking the eggs, add a few ladles of the hot soup to the egg mixture to temper the mixture and bring it up to temperature without scrambling the eggs.
—Hailee Catalano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Jan. 2026
One of the restaurant’s quirkier dishes, The Stretch, tops a bowl of hash browns and eggs with generous ladles of that chili.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2026
At the purification basin, visitors can use ladles of water to symbolically cleanse themselves and even their money.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
At Curry in a Hurry, Sajjad Chowdhury ladles steaming goat curry into a bowl for a customer while reflecting on the news the very building where investigators say the high-stakes poker games took place is just a block away.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Bowls of punch arrive laced with unusual flavors—jasmine tea, oak moss, and cardamom—served in ladles rather than glasses.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Once the brine is boiling, Hilarides carefully ladles it in each jar over the ingredients.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladles
Noun
-
Wooden spoons have been used in kitchens for centuries.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The clip showed the pair clinking spoons and laughing together, turning what began as a brief welfare check into a relaxed exchange between neighbors passing time during the outage.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ma puts the red wine to one side, ignores the shortbread, and scoops a glob of cream cheese onto her fingertip.—
Molly Aitken,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Their dad helps out every Friday with the HOA trash cans and occasionally scoops yards as well.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ladles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladles. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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