cupboard

noun

cup·​board ˈkə-bərd How to pronounce cupboard (audio)
Synonyms of cupboardnext
: a closet with shelves where dishes, utensils, or food is kept
also : a small closet

Synonyms of cupboard

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Examples of cupboard in a Sentence

the colonial dining room features a double-door corner cupboard for the family's finest china dishes go in the cupboard next to the sink
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In summary, anyone already planning to order a thermal-invisibility cape and spend the evening strolling unnoticed past infrared cameras should put the grappling hook back in the cupboard. — New Atlas, 29 July 2026 Before refrigeration became mainstream, cutout details were added to larders and meat safes as a way to ventilate a cupboard without leaving it open. — Kelsey Mulvey, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026 With that, the pitching cupboards passed the point of being bare a month ago, and there's hardly anywhere left to turn for starter help. — John Laghezza, New York Times, 24 July 2026 Now with a younger roster and the prospect cupboards mostly full, the organization can focus more on the present, helping the big club compete on a daily and long-term basis. — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cupboard

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cupboard was in 1530

Phrases Containing cupboard

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cupbearer
cupboard
cupboard love
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Cite this Entry

“Cupboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cupboard. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cupboard

noun
cup·​board ˈkəb-ərd How to pronounce cupboard (audio)
: a closet with shelves for cups, dishes, or food

More from Merriam-Webster on cupboard

Nglish: Translation of cupboard for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cupboard

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