meals over

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "meals over" is not a standard expression in written English and may cause confusion.
It could be used in contexts where you want to indicate that meal time has ended, but it is not commonly used. Example: "After the dinner party, I announced that meals over and everyone could relax."

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

I'd often hide food on my plate and just try to get meals over with as quickly as possible.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

His dad and I co-parented, co-partnered, He was the better cook and insisted on "home-cooked meals" over fast food.

Huffington Post

Husbands asked who would cook their meals over the weekend.

The Guardian

In sub-Saharan Africa, 70 percent of the people cook their meals over wood fires.

The New York Times

If you choose to self-cater, they bring the meals over.

The Guardian - Travel

Typically, five volunteers distribute more than 200 meals over the course of an evening.

The New York Times - Style

These five shops have supplied some of my favorite carryout meals over the last year.

The New York Times - Food

During thousands of elaborate restaurant meals over dozens of piggy years, I've received many exacting, even loopy, instructions.

The New York Times

The old marble-topped dining-room buffet became her makeshift desk; she took to cooking meals over a hot plate.

The New York Times

The rules would have also halved the amount of sodium in school meals over the next 10 years.

The New York Times

"They want to cook their meals over Pater's hard gemlike flame and light their cigarettes at it".

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "meals over", ensure the context clearly indicates completion or distribution. For example, "Distribute the "meals over" the course of the week".

Common error

Avoid using "meals over" when you intend to describe the quality or type of meals. Instead of saying "These "meals over" are delicious", specify what makes them delicious like "These home-cooked meals are delicious".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "meals over" functions as a modifier in various contexts. It can indicate the completion of meal times or describe the distribution of meals across a specific period. Ludwig indicates that the phrase may cause confusion.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Science

38%

Wiki

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "meals over" is used to indicate either the completion of a mealtime or the distribution of meals across a period. While grammatically acceptable, Ludwig suggests that the phrase is not a standard expression in written English and may cause confusion, suggesting that it is better used when you want to indicate that meal time has ended. The analysis indicates it is commonly found in news and scientific contexts. To ensure clarity, consider using alternative phrases such as "mealtime's over" or specifying the meal, such as "dinner is done".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mealtime's over

Indicates the end of the period allocated for a meal.

meals are finished

Directly states that the meals have been completed.

dinner is done

Specifically refers to the completion of dinner.

lunch is over

Specifies that the lunch period has ended.

breakfast is finished

Indicates the conclusion of breakfast.

meals have concluded

Formally states that meals have been completed.

the meal period is complete

More formally indicates the end of the period for eating.

the meal is through

Colloquially expresses that the meal has finished.

eating is done

General statement that the process of eating has concluded.

after the meal

Indicates a time point following the meal.

FAQs

What does "meals over" mean?

The phrase "meals over" can refer to the completion of meal times or the distribution of meals across a period. For example, "After the conference, I announced that "dinner is finished" and everyone could relax".

How can I use "meals over" in a sentence?

You can use "meals over" to describe distributing a set number of meals during a period: "The organization provided 5,000 "meals during" the summer program".

Which is a better way to say "meals over"?

Alternatives include "mealtime's over" or "meals are finished" depending on the context. "Mealtime's over, let's clean up" indicates the end of the meal.

What are some other ways to express the completion of a mealtime?

Other options include "dinner is done", "lunch is over", or "breakfast is finished" if you're referring to a particular meal.