as in froze
to turn from a liquid into a substance resembling jelly
the fruit juice should gel after you add the pectin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gelled
David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
The gelled look embellished her bronzy visage, painted by Naoko Sofia Patrizia Scintu.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Feb. 2026
Her new hometown features constant rain and a brooding yet gorgeous lab partner named Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who has unusually red eyes and excessively gelled hair.
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
His dark, gelled curls sat immaculate on his head, aside from a single indentation where his mother’s chin found respite.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
And his gelled hair spike will be covered with a beanie.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
It’s turned into the beloved signature for who’s who in Hollywood, from Keke Palmer’s ginger chop to gelled spikes on Aweng Chuol.
—Essence, 18 Dec. 2025
Her short hair was heavily gelled, giving it that high-gloss finish.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
Her hair was gelled down by Anthony Martinez, adding to the wet vibe of her look.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
From a distance, A’zion’s hairline disappeared under her bangs, which were gelled into tiny ripples on her forehead.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Jan. 2026
Yet the band’s formula gelled when Malo and Reynolds switched places, with the former eventually becoming the primary songwriter and producer.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 9 Dec. 2025
Final thoughts Despite the late start, the new cast members gelled nicely with Carpenter tonight!
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
The offensive line, meanwhile, hasn’t fully gelled after a makeover following the Super Bowl blowout at the hands of the Eagles.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
An unassuming and calm character who is highly respected within the game, his qualities gelled with the club’s ethos — but on reflection, his promotion probably came too quickly.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The Norwegian filmmaker’s last effort was Dream Scenario, a surreal comedy that never quite gelled.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
The gelled look embellished her bronzy visage, painted by Naoko Sofia Patrizia Scintu.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Feb. 2026
Her new hometown features constant rain and a brooding yet gorgeous lab partner named Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who has unusually red eyes and excessively gelled hair.
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
His dark, gelled curls sat immaculate on his head, aside from a single indentation where his mother’s chin found respite.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
And his gelled hair spike will be covered with a beanie.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
It’s turned into the beloved signature for who’s who in Hollywood, from Keke Palmer’s ginger chop to gelled spikes on Aweng Chuol.
—Essence, 18 Dec. 2025
Her short hair was heavily gelled, giving it that high-gloss finish.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
His unfailing commitment to civilian authority gave time for government institutions to sink roots, and established norms that gelled into the professional ethos of our military today.
—Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
Her hair was gelled down by Anthony Martinez, adding to the wet vibe of her look.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
From a distance, A’zion’s hairline disappeared under her bangs, which were gelled into tiny ripples on her forehead.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Jan. 2026
Yet the band’s formula gelled when Malo and Reynolds switched places, with the former eventually becoming the primary songwriter and producer.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 9 Dec. 2025
Final thoughts Despite the late start, the new cast members gelled nicely with Carpenter tonight!
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
The offensive line, meanwhile, hasn’t fully gelled after a makeover following the Super Bowl blowout at the hands of the Eagles.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
An unassuming and calm character who is highly respected within the game, his qualities gelled with the club’s ethos — but on reflection, his promotion probably came too quickly.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gelled
Adjective
-
Cook and stir over medium until thickened and bubbly.—
Maddy Bendgen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But her thickened skin, along with her toughened reputation, felt supple now.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the span of roughly seven months, the USDA froze the program’s grant funding, invited grantees to reapply without climate and DEI language, imposed sweeping new restrictions on solar on farmland, and closed future application cycles.—
Ayurella Horn-Muller,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
When robots lurched, slipped, and occasionally froze mid-stride at the 2026 Beijing half-marathon on April 19, the internet quickly turned the spectacle into a meme.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
My heart eyes for the beets and the overall experience at Rose's almost blinded me from noticing the dressing was hardly a caramel, but rather a congealed marinade with a grainy mouthfeel.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In particular, the bacon bits were chilled and all stuck together in one big, congealed lump along the inside of the bowl.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
June stiffened, a pillar of ice.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Officials this year have increased restrictions on flying drones and stiffened the penalties for their unauthorized use—including jail time.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its origins trace back to ancient China, where cooks discovered that coagulated soy milk could be pressed into soft, protein-rich curds and cubes.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Study co-author and project scientist John Dykema suggests that the large coagulated smoke particles could affect atmospheric circulation through local heating, potentially shifting jet streams.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The bread service is de rigueur French fine dining but gets a Tibetan twist, courtesy of elements like warm highland barley sourdough served with clotted yak milk.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
At Zain’s house, Yazid perched at the edge of his seat and stood up every time Zain’s mother came into the room, bringing first pomegranate sherbet, then food, several dishes served on a low table set in front of the sofa, and even a dessert, carrot halvah with clotted cream.—
Daniyal Mueenuddin,
New Yorker,
23 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
From day one, everybody clicked and jelled well.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
First-year coach Nick Lago is impressed by how the Huskies (9-23) have jelled.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bad lemon curd is pasty, grainy, curdled or tooth-achingly sweet.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
One is cynical and snarky, with a sour-to-the-point-of-curdled view of humanity, and the other has a heart full of sentiment, drunk to the point of passing out on the milk of human kindness.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gelled. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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