tempest in a teapot

noun phrase

: a great commotion over an unimportant matter

Examples of tempest in a teapot in a Sentence

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 short, this tempest in a teapot revealed far more about our current cultural anxieties, sensitivities, and suspicions than anything else. — Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2023 In any case, Futurism’s Maggie Harrison Dupré has a full rundown of the tempest in a teapot, with all the best posts from the fracas in one place. — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tempest in a teapot was in 1838

Rhymes for tempest in a teapot

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Browse Nearby Words

tempestical
tempest in a teapot
tempestive
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Cite this Entry

“Tempest in a teapot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tempest%20in%20a%20teapot. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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