How to Use empty calories in a Sentence

empty calories

plural noun
  • Let all of these food metaphors not conjure cheese; these are not empty calories.
    — Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2021
  • But all that talent, all that hope, all that buildup turned out to be empty calories.
    — Nick Moyle, ExpressNews.com, 3 Dec. 2020
  • While a visual feast that gives some of its stars a chance to have fun, the show is empty calories.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
  • But the season 3 hot dogs aren’t just empty calories.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Investors have to hope they aren’t getting served empty calories.
    — Laura Forman, WSJ, 1 Feb. 2022
  • Smart move, because sugar isn't just empty calories any more.
    — The Editors Of Mh, Men's Health, 9 Jan. 2023
  • The truth is that wine, like any other type of alcohol, is full of empty calories.
    — Alexa Tucker, SELF, 1 Nov. 2017
  • But some critics point out the drinks’ high sugar content and empty calories.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024
  • Despite the sweetness of its ending, there are no empty calories here.
    — Andrea Simakis, cleveland.com, 27 Oct. 2017
  • That these calories are, by and large, the empty calories of the corn syrup variety is kind of the point.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 9 Mar. 2023
  • Too bad those stats were mostly empty calories for a team pretty much running on empty.
    — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 22 Nov. 2022
  • But their points were mostly the equivalent of empty calories.
    — oregonlive, 23 Dec. 2020
  • Even with a candy song banging around in the skull, the treat’s word-play trail is the opposite of empty calories.
    — Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
  • Sugar is a major source of empty calories that can contribute to weight gain and belly fat.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2022
  • Only one of them appears to be an improvement though—the other two are empty calories.
    — Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
  • The problem, however, is that wine is loaded with empty calories.
    — Kimberly Garrison, Philly.com, 9 Jan. 2018
  • Fish may be one of the leanest protein sources around, but fast food fish sandwiches tend to be fried, which can add on empty calories.
    — Erica Sweeney, Men's Health, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Traditional fruit juice, once thought of as healthy, has been recast as a source of empty calories and sugar.
    — Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN, 8 Apr. 2020
  • Hatred isn’t a positive emotion — empty calories for the soul.
    — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022
  • Margaritas, beer, soda pop and punch all contain lots of empty calories.
    — Fred Sassani, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Breaks that are high in all four are the equivalent of nutritious and nourishing meals; those that don’t are like empty calories.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
  • At Olive & Finch, that looks like adding smaller, protein-dense plates to the menu and shedding some of those empty calories.
    — Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The American way of eating today is focused on profit, not progress, on empty calories and fast food, not on health.
    — Eric Adams, CNN, 27 Sep. 2022
  • Which should, but won’t, deter the misguided and shortsighted who will soon succeed in bloating this thing with more empty calories.
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • If non-racist were a beer, each sip would have all the flavor of white privilege with a lot of empty calories and a bitter, shameful aftertaste.
    — Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2020
  • Over time, all those empty calories can cause a variety of health problems if dirty soda is part of your daily routine, Gillies says.
    — Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 18 May 2026
  • And the empty calories can increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer.
    — Rachel Carlson, NPR, 13 Jan. 2025
  • The soft nonconference schedule will produce some victories, but those will be empty calories.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 8 Nov. 2021
  • That could result in Levis piling up empty calories in several fourth quarters against soft zone coverages.
    — Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024
  • Baby Got Back into the game with a fourth-quarter rally, but those were empty calories against a prevent defense.
    — Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'empty calories.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: