as in hostility
informal
unfair criticism that comes from someone who is disappointed about not getting something
His remarks are nothing but sour grapes.
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Recent Examples of sour grapes
Conservatives who argue that President Joe Biden politicized the military by focusing on climate change and by advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion measures call these concerns, on the heels of Mr. Trump’s firings, sour grapes.
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Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
But Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni and others say the move to bar the shove has the whiff of sour grapes.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
The success gap between them prompted some to see Ebeling’s Instagram post as sour grapes.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
OpenAI argues that Musk’s lawsuit, as well as his embrace of open source development for AI, is little more than a case of sour grapes after leaving the company.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sour grapes
Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
But Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni and others say the move to bar the shove has the whiff of sour grapes.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
The success gap between them prompted some to see Ebeling’s Instagram post as sour grapes.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
OpenAI argues that Musk’s lawsuit, as well as his embrace of open source development for AI, is little more than a case of sour grapes after leaving the company.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sour grapes
Cite this Entry
“Sour grapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sour%20grapes. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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