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as in to propagate
to cause (something, as a seed) to grow
She began by reading up on the best ways to germinate apple seeds.
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Recent Examples of germinate
Grass seed takes about 14 days to germinate, and during that period, the seeds are sitting on the surface of the soil waiting to put out shoots.
—
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
These structures are envelopes of starch that shift and settle at the bottom of plant cells, helping the organisms to detect changes in their position and stability—and to tell germinating seeds in which direction to grow their roots.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
Eating fruit is one step; whether those seeds germinate and grow into mature trees is a question researchers have yet to fully answer.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
In a week or so, any weed seeds still present will germinate.
—Laura Simpson, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for germinate
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
These structures are envelopes of starch that shift and settle at the bottom of plant cells, helping the organisms to detect changes in their position and stability—and to tell germinating seeds in which direction to grow their roots.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
Eating fruit is one step; whether those seeds germinate and grow into mature trees is a question researchers have yet to fully answer.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
In a week or so, any weed seeds still present will germinate.
—Laura Simpson, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for germinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for germinate
Verb
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For a while, SDFC had been emerging from its funk.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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The architecture is fascinating, with gods carved into the design, including a waterfall emerging from Narcissus’ mouth.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
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All throughout the Universe, different types of signals propagate.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
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The key is to purchase plants that proliferate easily and to repot offshoots or propagate them in water before planting in a new pot.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The See’s shop has moved around as the center developed and evolved over the decades; to date, there have been four locations.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
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The main house has to evolve with the people living in it.—
Amy Kunst,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Despite the pitching hiccups Friday night, the offense continued to produce.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education, and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Kreith advises using heavy duty cages for tomatoes, arches for beans, stakes for peppers and eggplant, and a trellis for cucumbers, which grow as a vine.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Isaac Rangaswami, a former tech-company copywriter, first grew a following around an Instagram account called @caffs_not_cafes, which highlighted historic, low-key, unheralded London canteens.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Germinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/germinate. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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