grapevine

noun

grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn How to pronounce grapevine (audio)
Synonyms of grapevinenext
1
: grape sense 2
2
a
: an informal person-to-person means of circulating information or gossip
heard it through the grapevine
b
: a secret source of information

Examples of grapevine 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.
Set the scene Right away, there's a sense of arrival reminiscent of a city chic hotel with a grand lobby entry distinguished by a long, arched colonnade comprised of iron ceiling panels with a grapevine-like pattern. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 So when the Israeli evacuation orders drove his family to the Nuseirat refugee camp in October 2023, the shape of his orchard remained mapped in his mind – row upon row of grapevines and grids of fig trees, each 4 yards from its neighbor. — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026 The Vitis vinifera varietal (including cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and zinfandel), grafted onto a rootstock that is disease-resistant to phylloxera, is the ideal type of wine grapevine. — The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026 Not long after boarding a city bus in central Vienna, the grand buildings and busy streets of Austria’s capital gave way to wooded hills and rows of grapevines. — Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grapevine

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grapevine was circa 1736

Rhymes for grapevine

See All Rhymes for grapevine

Browse Nearby Words

grape tree
grapevine
Grapevine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grapevine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grapevine. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

grapevine

noun
grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn How to pronounce grapevine (audio)
1
: grape sense 2
2
: an unofficial means of spreading information or gossip from person to person

Geographical Definition

Grapevine

geographical name

Grape·​vine ˈgrāp-ˌvīn How to pronounce Grapevine (audio)
city in northern Texas northeast of Fort Worth

More from Merriam-Webster on grapevine

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for grapevine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grapevine

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