Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of respire Vegetables that respire at a higher rate keep better in the refrigerator crisper, where food retains more moisture than in the open space of the main refrigerator compartment, which can draw moisture out of produce. Anne-Marie Bonneau, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2021 Consider leafy vegetables, which immediately start to respire faster once they are cut. Nicola Temple, WSJ, 4 May 2018 The gases are then respired out of the lungs: literal fart breath. Brian Resnick, Vox, 3 Apr. 2018 In the 18th century and earlier, most baking was dictated by the delicate whims of respiring yeast. Ben Panko, Smithsonian, 21 June 2017 This makes sense, since roots are respiring organs. Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2017 In the soil around their roots, billions of fungi and soil bacteria respire as well. Jordan Fisher Smith, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respire
breathe
Verb
  • Many experts, including a former agriculture minister, have repeatedly cautioned that Iran must keep water use below 40% of renewable supplies, leaving enough for rivers to flow, wetlands to breathe, and aquifers to naturally recharge.
    Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Mitchell willfully took fewer shots and generally breathed in less oxygen so there was more to go around on the Cavs’ offense last season.
    Joe Vardon, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Respire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respire. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!