congeal

verb

kən-ˈjēl How to pronounce congeal (audio)
Definition of congealnext
1
as in to freeze
to become physically firm or solid the surface of the pond congealed after several days of frigid temperatures

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to gel
to turn from a liquid into a substance resembling jelly the gravy had already started to congeal by the time the waiter served our dinners

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of congeal Engineers even worried that slow-moving crude would congeal inside the pipeline, creating waxy buildup that could turn TAPS into the world’s biggest tube of ChapStick. — Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Fortune, 24 May 2026 There are chunks in the mix, too, congealing among the leaf litter and dark, scarlet rivulets a la Jackson Pollock. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026 Grease and oil might look harmless, but grease has the potential to congeal and harden, while leftover oil can coat your pipes and cause other things to get stuck. — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 15 Mar. 2026 Slowing and congealing the formless language of my thoughts. — Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for congeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for congeal
  1. freeze
  2. gel
  3. harden
  4. stiffen
  5. coagulate
  6. jell
  7. gelatinize
Verb
  • The operator allegedly made more than $90,000 in profits on the trades, although most of that money was frozen by Kalshi after the bets were flagged as suspicious.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter has been capturing some of the Red Planet's most surreal landscapes, and its latest images reveal a sprawling field that looks like molten metal frozen across the floor of an ancient Mars crater.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of freeze
Verb
  • Both have had time to gel as a squad, and both have managers who know how to get over the line.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • Here, her natural hair was styled in a sleek, avant-garde aesthetic that gelled her front layer in a sharp wave over her forehead.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 July 2026
Definition of gel
Verb
  • If frozen for longer than 10 minutes, the roll-up will lose its crunchy texture and will harden.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026
  • If cold from the fridge, your butter will seize and harden, shellacking the slices in a thick coating instead of a light sheen.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 July 2026
Definition of harden
Verb
  • Graham's aorta, at 71, tore, a dissection along a wall stiffened by decades of what the medical examiner called arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
    — Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Group 1 is pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare and severe version that occurs when blood vessels in the lungs narrow and stiffen.
    — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 26 June 2026
Definition of stiffen
Verb
  • As most of the scientific books tell us, coagulating protein at lower temperatures produces more tender clumps; adding a little water or cream makes an omelet tenderer still.
    — Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
  • If an egg cracks during boiling, vinegar can help the egg white coagulate faster, preventing it from leaking into the water.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of coagulate
Verb
  • Coach Ben Johnson can sense his group jelling in terms of understanding expectations and how the coaching staff expects players to attack their business.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 1 June 2026
  • Barkey and Zegras are roommates — and jelled just as well as linemates.
    — CBS News Philadelphia Staff, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of jell
Verb
  • Before freezing, blanching the potatoes gelatinizes surface starches, and freezing encourages those starches to reorganize into a firmer structure.
    — Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Starches swell with heat and water, gelatinizing to give dough its airy lift.
    — Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of gelatinize

Browse Nearby Words

congé
congeal
congealed
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Cite this Entry

“Congeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/congeal. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on congeal

Nglish: Translation of congeal for Spanish Speakers

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