punch bowl
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of punch bowl
First recorded in 1685–95
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.
But I’m especially fond of using the punch bowl as a way to elevate a non-alcoholic drink into something that feels genuinely celebratory.
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2026
Is Wall Street ready to have the proverbial punch bowl taken away?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026
Though Blue Owl has three lines of business, private credit—specifically direct lending in private-equity deals—is the firm’s calling card and growth engine, and the straw that’s stirring Wall Street’s punch bowl lately.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025
Crypto had no insulation from one bad actor in the market peeing in the punch bowl.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2024
The boys mostly flocked around the punch bowl and tried to show off with each other.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
