as in dripping
to flow forth slowly through small openings
water percolating through the coffee filter
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Recent Examples of percolating
Bringing the solar array from an idea percolating around Cristo Rey to reality took time.
—
Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Democrat-Gazette online A guest piece in the opinion section Sunday railed disingenuously against a percolating public initiative for a state constitutional amendment.
—John Brummett, Arkansas Online, 25 Mar. 2026
Next, in early 2022, inflation was percolating.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
Heightened discussions in Asia Similar discussions among current and former government officials have been percolating across Asia.
—Amy McAuliffe, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
There’s a shame and a self-loathing that’s percolating right there under the surface in 1943.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
The derogatory language has been percolating among Republican officials for months, often prominent when criticizing New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Various proposals for a bridge to Long Island have been percolating in different iterations for decades.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026
As the new week began, another rationale was percolating lower down the chain of command.
—Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Democrat-Gazette online A guest piece in the opinion section Sunday railed disingenuously against a percolating public initiative for a state constitutional amendment.
—John Brummett, Arkansas Online, 25 Mar. 2026
Next, in early 2022, inflation was percolating.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
Heightened discussions in Asia Similar discussions among current and former government officials have been percolating across Asia.
—Amy McAuliffe, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
There’s a shame and a self-loathing that’s percolating right there under the surface in 1943.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
The derogatory language has been percolating among Republican officials for months, often prominent when criticizing New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Various proposals for a bridge to Long Island have been percolating in different iterations for decades.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026
As the new week began, another rationale was percolating lower down the chain of command.
—Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for percolating
Verb
-
Some of the women were bleeding from their reproductive organs, while others had blood dripping from slashes on their breasts, their bodies having been lacerated with a sharp instrument.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The king hosted a banquet for him in a hall dripping with flowers and gold leaf.—
Danica Kirka,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wang is an extraordinarily mobile player for his size, with impressive skating technique through his inside and outside edges laterally and flowing mechanics going north or back to pucks.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Gone is the long, flowing hair — which accompanied his first five years in the big leagues — and in is a fresh, short cut.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Like all the trillion-dollar platforms, Amazon can be a bit much, seeping into our lives.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
There was the threat of the Jackson Heights Serial Killer, slowly seeping through the narrative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rocks, recently depressurized after their journey from the seafloor, were oozing petroleum.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Potterheads across the globe will instantly recognize Harry’s not-so-homely house on Privet Drive, his cramped excuse of a bedroom and the endless disdain oozing from the young wizard’s unloving aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even as the Hudson Theatre was still filling up, the star of the Harry Potter movie franchise (and much theater after that) was bobbing and flitting from row to row, exuding equal parts friendliness and determination of purpose.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Even as the Hudson Theatre is still filling up, the star of the Harry Potter movie franchise, and much theater subsequent to that, is already flitting from row to row, exuding equal parts friendliness and determination of purpose.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Percolating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/percolating. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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