1
as in emerging
to come into being
A new counterculture germinating in the city's art district.
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2
as in propagating
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of germinating
Sulfur prevents fungal spores from germinating and must be applied as a preventive measure before the disease develops for effective results.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 May 2026
Just avoid overlap with pre-emergent herbicides, which prevent all seeds (including grass) from germinating.
—Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
Quinoa thrives in cool temperatures, germinating when soil temperatures are between 36°F and 68°F.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 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
Keep in mind, though, that the timing must be right; some seeds require cold stratification before germinating.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 10 Apr. 2026
This is important to keep weed seeds from germinating.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Don’t trample or pick the flowers and stay on the paths because even barren ground could have seeds germinating beneath.
—Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 May 2026
Just avoid overlap with pre-emergent herbicides, which prevent all seeds (including grass) from germinating.
—Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
Quinoa thrives in cool temperatures, germinating when soil temperatures are between 36°F and 68°F.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 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
Keep in mind, though, that the timing must be right; some seeds require cold stratification before germinating.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 10 Apr. 2026
This is important to keep weed seeds from germinating.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Don’t trample or pick the flowers and stay on the paths because even barren ground could have seeds germinating beneath.
—Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for germinating
Verb
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One of the most painful things about this disease is knowing that promising treatments are emerging, but funding barriers and manufacturing and procedural slow-downs continue to derail progress.—
Elise Esposito,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
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San Diego County routinely issues public health advisories to warn local doctors of emerging threats, but Thursday was the first time in recent memory that a mode of transportation made the list.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Also known as asexual reproduction, propagating fruits and vegetables allows gardeners to bypass difficult seed germination.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
31 May 2026
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Not simply a catalog of assets, but an event-aware system capable of understanding relationships, propagating policy, detecting drift, tracing downstream impact, enforcing governance rules and providing runtime context to both humans and machines.—
Emma McGrattan,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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This is an evolving machinery in which datafication facilitates dispossession.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
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Remote employees added fewer new collaborators and dropped fewer existing ones, meaning their networks stopped evolving.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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When a crop such as lettuce is done producing, it is cut at ground level so the roots stay in the ground, helping feed soil microbes.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
Djokovic held a 2-0 set lead, but the 19-year-old Brazilian bounced back to win the next three sets – producing the stunning victory against the Serbian superstar.—
Thomas Schlachter,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The free-speech cases in Florida, Tennessee and Indiana highlight a growing debate surrounding the First Amendment, political discourse and social media.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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According to the statement, Xcel has identified resource adequacy as a growing concern for several years and has proposed multiple solutions, including a near-term procurement plan designed to add 3,800 megawatts of new generation capacity.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Consider planting seeds for a second harvest of okra, squash, and cucumbers that mature quickly.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
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Try planting a ring of parsley around the trunks of apple trees as part of a fruit guild, or grow a few parsley plants in pots and move them beneath the trees when the parsley starts flowering.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 May 2026
Verb
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That's because several fruits like apples, bananas, avocados, and tomatoes produce ethylene gas, a ripening hormone.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
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Netting Most experts agree that netting is the most effective way to physically prevent birds from eating your berries or ripening fruit harvest.—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Germinating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/germinating. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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