1
as in freezing
to become physically firm or solid
the surface of the pond congealed after several days of frigid temperatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gelling
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of congealing
Slowing and congealing the formless language of my thoughts.
—
Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for congealing
Verb
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The weather in Wales was terrible, with snow and freezing temperatures and Arctic gales.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Temperatures drop below freezing early Saturday morning.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Rangers’ power play has caught fire in the last three games, with the new top unit of Lafrenière, Perreault, Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox gelling quickly after a feeling-out period.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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If something isn’t exactly gelling, this is the stage to mix it up in makeup, hair, costumes, whatever needs to be fixed.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But before transplanting, your plants will need time to adjust—this process is called hardening off.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
11 Mar. 2026
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Start hardening off plants one week before transplanting out into the garden.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The machine dryer agitates the clothing and prevents fibers from stiffening during drying, which is why clothing comes out feeling soft.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
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The Czech Republic’s new government will seek to transform the defense industry into an engine of the nation’s export economy as the flagship auto sector faces stiffening competition, Karel Havlicek, minister for industry and trade, told us.—
Suzanne Lynch,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The basketball gods have handed us an opportunity — a chance to stir up a rivalry that has been sitting cold and coagulating on the back burner for far too long.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And on those higher ozone days, there were more hemorrhage (bleeding, as opposed to clotting) strokes and more plaque buildup causing major arteries to harden.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
4 Mar. 2026
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But clotting issues persisted, Bosh failed a physical in September 2016, and Heat president Pat Riley announced that Bosh’s career with the team was over.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Congealing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/congealing. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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