as in freezing
to turn from a liquid into a substance resembling jelly
the fruit juice should gel after you add the pectin
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Recent Examples of gelling
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
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
These jams may also contain gelling agents for a firmer set.
—Francesca Giuliani Hoffman, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Keiarna’s frustration with Stacey simply reads as being pressed for a moment as opposed to them just not gelling.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The stage is set, against a Broncos defense and pass-rush that’s gelling perfectly just six weeks in.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Roger Hodgson, a posh young guitarist whose post-private school rearing clashed with Davies' own humble origins, wound up gelling with Davies, and Supertramp was born — after a few months under the moniker of Daddy.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
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
These jams may also contain gelling agents for a firmer set.
—Francesca Giuliani Hoffman, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Keiarna’s frustration with Stacey simply reads as being pressed for a moment as opposed to them just not gelling.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The stage is set, against a Broncos defense and pass-rush that’s gelling perfectly just six weeks in.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Roger Hodgson, a posh young guitarist whose post-private school rearing clashed with Davies' own humble origins, wound up gelling with Davies, and Supertramp was born — after a few months under the moniker of Daddy.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gelling
Verb
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The Chancellor Gordon Brown reacted by cutting duty on ultra-low sulphur petrol, freezing duty on other grades of motor fuel, putting more vehicles into the lowest vehicle excise duty band — a tax cut for most lorries — and taxing foreign truckers using British roads.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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Wet or snowy roads may remain slick as temperatures fall below freezing everywhere.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
17 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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Slowing and congealing the formless language of my thoughts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Starches swell with heat and water, gelatinizing to give dough its airy lift.—
Sanjay Srivastava,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 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
“Gelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gelling. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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