as in to drown
to put (food, such as meat or fish) in a sauce for a period of time to add flavor or tenderize
The recipe says that you should marinate the chicken overnight.
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Recent Examples of marinate
Pour in half of the marinade, reserving the rest for later.
Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
—
Ashia Aubourg, Outside Online, 24 May 2025
Add the Umami Sauce 2.0 [or your favorite marinade] and set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.
—Michael Greger, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2025
Fraser, most recently the author of a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which won a Pulitzer, seems an unlikely candidate to spend years of her life marinating in the granular minutiae of serial killers.
—Sarah Weinman, The Atlantic, 18 June 2025
At Sandals’ Jerk Shacks, chefs stay true to that tradition by marinating chicken, pork, and fish in a fiery mix of Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and allspice, then grilling it over pimento wood.
—Sandals Resorts, AFAR Media, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for marinate
Ashia Aubourg, Outside Online, 24 May 2025
Add the Umami Sauce 2.0 [or your favorite marinade] and set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.
—Michael Greger, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2025
Fraser, most recently the author of a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which won a Pulitzer, seems an unlikely candidate to spend years of her life marinating in the granular minutiae of serial killers.
—Sarah Weinman, The Atlantic, 18 June 2025
At Sandals’ Jerk Shacks, chefs stay true to that tradition by marinating chicken, pork, and fish in a fiery mix of Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and allspice, then grilling it over pimento wood.
—Sandals Resorts, AFAR Media, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for marinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for marinate
Verb
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The funeral service for a Metro Transit Police Department sergeant who drowned on Sunday in White Bear Lake will be Friday.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
25 June 2025
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Tragically, eight people drowned, while two were rescued by lifeguards, park rangers and nearby civilian boaters who rushed to help.—
Bethany Wales,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
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The berries need to macerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day before serving.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2025
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Cooking time: 40 minutes, plus 2 to 4 hours hands-off time to macerate the berries.—
Carolynn Carreño,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Overnight storms soaked parts of the Kansas City area, with the heaviest rains falling in Wyandotte County and the Northland, according to storm gauges across the metro.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2025
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Minimal skin contact — juice soaks with skins for a few hours, gaining slightly deeper color and flavor than direct press.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Marinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marinate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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