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

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
By refusing to unload the cupboard for Da’Aaron Fox when the Kings were shopping him before the February 2025 trade deadline, the Heat retained the first-round inventory needed to make the Antetokounmpo trade. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026 Cole recalled how, at the close of those early shows, the drawings were removed from their frames and returned to Auckland, to be put back in their cupboards. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 After that the science cupboard looks more threadbare, and NASA could use some major new mission starts. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 30 Aug. 2026 Carroll had a pedestrian showing in its scrimmage against Aledo, but the cupboard on offense is hardly bare with receivers Blake Gunter (55 receptions-1,224 yards-18 TDs), Brody Knowles (40-849-7) and Dez Bryant, Jr. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

cupbearer
cupboard
cupboard love
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cupboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cupboard. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cupboard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All