as in to grow
to become mature
pears ripening on the tree
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Recent Examples of ripen
Nature is rife with naturally occurring ethanol, particularly from ripening fruit, and that fruit in turn is consumed by various microorganisms and animal species.
—
ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
As plantains ripen, the sugar content increases as the starches break down into sugars.
—Emily Brown, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2025
European names for this full moon include the fruit moon, as a number of fruits ripen as the end of summer approaches, and the barley moon, from the harvesting and threshing of barley, according to NASA.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Apples won't continue ripening after they're harvested.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripen
ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
As plantains ripen, the sugar content increases as the starches break down into sugars.
—Emily Brown, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2025
European names for this full moon include the fruit moon, as a number of fruits ripen as the end of summer approaches, and the barley moon, from the harvesting and threshing of barley, according to NASA.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Apples won't continue ripening after they're harvested.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripen
Verb
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In the midst of the life-or-death chaos, Arisu grows closer to Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), an athletic loner mourning the death of her mountain climber father.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
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For comparison, current industry leader Cheniere aims to grow to about 75 MTPA near 2030—big growth, but not keeping pace with Venture Global’s plans.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Past contestants have confirmed that pay increases as the season progresses.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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The disease typically appears in mid-adulthood, causing problems with movement, memory, and mood, and usually progresses over 15-20 years.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ripen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripen. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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