wooden spoon
Britishnoun
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.
As the peaches soften, periodically crush them against the side of the saucepan with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to help release their juices.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Brave are playing for pride, having already been eliminated and victory would guarantee they avoid the wooden spoon.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
She said she scared the bear away by screaming and banging a pot with a wooden spoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Wales have not won a Six Nations match since 2023, when they narrowly avoided the wooden spoon thanks to a 29-17 victory away to an error-strewn Italy.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
I rush to follow my sisters, but Mama steps out of the kitchen and stops me in my tracks by holding a wooden spoon out in front of me.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
