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.
The Fed’s job, former Chair William McChesney Martin famously said, is to take the punch bowl away just as the party gets going.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
I like anything effervescent and not too sweet, ideally ladled from a punch bowl because punch bowls inherently make adults feel like children in the best possible way.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2025
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
Juniors and sophomores crowded around the punch bowl and snack table, and a few brave theater kids were already out on the dance floor.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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.
