1
: a pin of wood or metal for fastening meat to keep it in form while roasting or to hold small pieces of meat or vegetables for broiling
2
: any of various things shaped or used like a meat skewer
skewered; skewering; skewers
1
: to fasten or pierce with or as if with a skewer
2
: to criticize or ridicule sharply and effectively
Synonyms
Examples of skewer in a Sentence
Verb
let's skewer our marshmallows on these sticks and start toasting
the satirical comic strip gleefully skewers many of society's sacred cows
Recent Examples on the Web
Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
The real star is the selection of yakitori, with skewers of every part of chicken imaginable, short ribs, pork belly, and more.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
In its first five minutes, ''Monorail'' skewers The Flintstones, Beverly Hills Cop, The Silence of the Lambs, and Batman.
—EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Spear fresh fruit—like strawberries, golden berries, or whole tangerines—with a wooden skewer.
—Steffi Cao, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024
This particular set comes with 75 pieces, including a meat thermometer, 50 bamboo skewers, meat claws, and so much more.
—Marilyn La Jeunesse, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2024
Photos of the drink, posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo by the Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery, show a drizzle of dark red sauce atop the latte foam — with a square slice of pork on a skewer resting on the mug rim.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024
Order the restaurant’s signature dry, 5-finger Martini, a delicious concoction made with two kinds of sherry and blanc vermouth, garnished with three plump olives on a thin skewer.
—Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
When favorable conditions allow Sakara’s marina platform to be open, guests are served cocktails and fruit skewers while enjoying a variety of water sports equipment.
—David Dickstein, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2024
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
For instance, when complaining about the poll The Times conducted with Siena College, some critics skewered the paper’s sample size of 980 registered voters, ironically echoing complaints that Trump and his supporters have previously made against political polls.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
Advertisement Kimmel devotes monologue to skewering ‘arrogant’ Aaron Rodgers after Epstein list; Rodgers replies
Jan. 9, 2024
Such ludicrous tall tales are easy to laugh at, and dismiss.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2024
Many viewers also criticized its messaging about class politics, failing to adequately skewer the upper classes while depicting scholarship kid Oliver as a vampiric con artist.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024
After positive financial reports from America’s two big Navy shipbuilders, U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro short-circuited the celebratory mood at West 2024, the Navy’s premier West Coast business convention, skewering key industry stakeholders.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Most Versatile Cheese: Boursin Bites Garlic & Fine Herbs
Pop a few pearls into hot pasta to make an effortless creamy sauce or skewer them for on-demand apps.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2024
Oliver is one of the many late-night hosts using their spotlight to skewer the high court and America’s political landscape.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024
Related Stories Johnson escapes most of the criticism, but everything else is getting skewered as the latest example of superhero movie fatigue meeting a genuinely disappointing film.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2024
Noun
Bake in oven until tops are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
The real star is the selection of yakitori, with skewers of every part of chicken imaginable, short ribs, pork belly, and more.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
In its first five minutes, ''Monorail'' skewers The Flintstones, Beverly Hills Cop, The Silence of the Lambs, and Batman.
—EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Spear fresh fruit—like strawberries, golden berries, or whole tangerines—with a wooden skewer.
—Steffi Cao, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024
This particular set comes with 75 pieces, including a meat thermometer, 50 bamboo skewers, meat claws, and so much more.
—Marilyn La Jeunesse, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2024
Photos of the drink, posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo by the Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery, show a drizzle of dark red sauce atop the latte foam — with a square slice of pork on a skewer resting on the mug rim.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024
Order the restaurant’s signature dry, 5-finger Martini, a delicious concoction made with two kinds of sherry and blanc vermouth, garnished with three plump olives on a thin skewer.
—Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
When favorable conditions allow Sakara’s marina platform to be open, guests are served cocktails and fruit skewers while enjoying a variety of water sports equipment.
—David Dickstein, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2024
Verb
Everyone knew the show would skewer Sen. Katie Britt, who gave the genuinely bizarre Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address, in the cold open.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
For instance, when complaining about the poll The Times conducted with Siena College, some critics skewered the paper’s sample size of 980 registered voters, ironically echoing complaints that Trump and his supporters have previously made against political polls.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
Advertisement Kimmel devotes monologue to skewering ‘arrogant’ Aaron Rodgers after Epstein list; Rodgers replies
Jan. 9, 2024
Such ludicrous tall tales are easy to laugh at, and dismiss.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2024
Many viewers also criticized its messaging about class politics, failing to adequately skewer the upper classes while depicting scholarship kid Oliver as a vampiric con artist.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024
After positive financial reports from America’s two big Navy shipbuilders, U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro short-circuited the celebratory mood at West 2024, the Navy’s premier West Coast business convention, skewering key industry stakeholders.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Most Versatile Cheese: Boursin Bites Garlic & Fine Herbs
Pop a few pearls into hot pasta to make an effortless creamy sauce or skewer them for on-demand apps.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2024
Oliver is one of the many late-night hosts using their spotlight to skewer the high court and America’s political landscape.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024
Related Stories Johnson escapes most of the criticism, but everything else is getting skewered as the latest example of superhero movie fatigue meeting a genuinely disappointing film.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skewer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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Cite this Entry
“Skewer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skewer. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
skewer
1 of 2 noun
skew·er
ˈskyü-ər 
ˈskyu̇(-ə)r
1
: a long pin for keeping meat in form while roasting or for holding small pieces of meat and vegetables for broiling
2
: something shaped or used like a meat skewer
skewer
2 of 2 verb
: to fasten or pierce with or as if with a skewer
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