coalesce

verb

co·a·lesce | \ ˌkō-ə-ˈles

coalesced; coalescing

Definition of coalesce

1 : to grow together The edges of the wound coalesced.

2a : to unite into a whole : fuse separate townships have coalesced into a single, sprawling colony— Donald Gould

b : to unite for a common end : join forces people with different points of view coalesce into opposing factions— I. L. Horowitz

3 : to arise from the combination of distinct elements an organized and a popular resistance immediately coalesced— C. C. Menges

transitive verb

: to cause to unite sometimes a book coalesces a public into a mass market— Walter Meade

Other Words from coalesce Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about coalesce

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from coalesce

coalescence \ ˌkō-ə-ˈle-sᵊn(t)s

\ noun

coalescent \ ˌkō-ə-ˈle-sᵊnt

\ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for coalesce

mix, mingle, commingle, blend, merge, coalesce, amalgamate, fuse mean to combine into a more or less uniform whole. mix may or may not imply loss of each element's identity. mix the salad greens mix a drink mingle usually suggests that the elements are still somewhat distinguishable or separately active. fear mingled with anticipation in my mind commingle implies a closer or more thorough mingling. a sense of duty commingled with a fierce pride drove her blend implies that the elements as such disappear in the resulting mixture. blended several teas to create a balanced flavor merge suggests a combining in which one or more elements are lost in the whole. in his mind reality and fantasy merged coalesce implies an affinity in the merging elements and usually a resulting organic unity. telling details that coalesce into a striking portrait amalgamate implies the forming of a close union without complete loss of individual identities. refugees who were readily amalgamated into the community fuse stresses oneness and indissolubility of the resulting product. a building in which modernism and classicism are fused

Did You Know?

Coalesce unites the prefix co- ("together") and the Latin verb alescere, meaning "to grow." (The words "adolescent" and "adult" also grew from "alescere.") "Coalesce," which first appeared in English in the mid-17th century, is one of a number of verbs in English (along with "mix," "commingle," "merge," and "amalgamate") that refer to the act of combining parts into a whole. In particular, "coalesce" usually implies the merging of similar parts to form a cohesive unit.

Examples of coalesce in a Sentence

a group of young reformers who gradually coalesced into a political movement The ice masses coalesced into a glacier over time.

Recent Examples on the Web

The moon then coalesced from the disk—a scenario that can explain the moon’s large mass and dearth of water and other volatiles. — Simon J. Lock, Scientific American, "When Earth and the Moon Were One," 2 July 2019 The 24-hour haul underscores Mr. Trump’s fundraising command and how the GOP has coalesced behind him after shunning his unconventional foray into the 2016 presidential primary. — Julie Bykowicz, WSJ, "Trump Re-Election Efforts Raise $24.8 Million Tied to Launch Rally," 19 June 2019 The resulting debris eventually coalesced to form our satellite. — Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, "Earth's Moon: The Basics of its Origin, Evolution and Exploration," 12 June 2019 Democrats have rejected it entirely, and Republicans have yet to coalesce behind it. — Mike Debonis, Washington Post, "To attract GOP moderates, House immigration bill could become more generous for DACA recipients," 13 Mar. 2018 Kirsch, raspberry and rose flavors coalesce against a dusty tannic backdrop. — Bryce Wiatrak, San Francisco Chronicle, "Tasting Notes: The wines of Montebello Road," 28 Feb. 2018 Though the gadgets are still in their infancy, the companies making them have more or less coalesced around an agreed upon look of small, cylindrical, and stout. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Samsung’s got a smart speaker and it looks like a high-tech planter," 10 Aug. 2018 Republican senators have largely coalesced around him, while many Democrats have vowed from the start to oppose the pick. — Fox News, "Kamala Harris' office allegedly rejected SCOTUS courtesy call: 'We want nothing to do with you'," 10 July 2018 Biden's decision to publicly back Cuomo will rankle the progressive activists who have largely coalesced around Nixon, but his message for the more moderate crowd on Long Island seemed torn from the pages of a national campaign speech. — Gregory Krieg And Sonia Moghe, CNN, "Is Joe Biden running for president? Because he sure sounded like it today," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coalesce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.