frying pan
Americannoun
-
frying pans
plural
idioms
noun
-
a long-handled shallow pan used for frying
-
from a bad situation to a worse one
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of frying pan
1350–1400; Middle English fryinge panne
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Weather that swings from deep freeze to frying pan.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
Yet the country may be launching out of the frying pan and into the fire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
Inside Dorothy’s Kansan house, a once-shadowed frying pan on the wall now dangles front and center, as does a digitally added “Home Sweet Home” needlepoint nailed to the threshold.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025
When you need a frying pan to cook fluffy omelets, a skillet to brown mushrooms, or a sheet pan for baking an afternoon treat of chocolate chip cookies, it’s tempting to reach for something nonstick.
From Salon ● Dec. 9, 2024
Mom takes the fish out of the frying pan and puts it on a plate layered with paper towels to soak up the grease.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
