as in flowering
the process of becoming mature
the ripening of a pumpkin can take a whole season
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in growing
to become mature
pears ripening on the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ripening
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2025
Apples won't continue ripening after they're harvested.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Conditions are ripening for such unconventional thoughts.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Leafy cherry trees, the fruit all gone, gobbled up by us and by the birds, and trees with ripening white and flat peaches.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
Faster transit times meant merchants could also load later-ripening varieties from Basra at the head of the Gulf.
—Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
The feeling of rich soil sifting through our fingers, the way the earth smells after a rain, the sweet fragrance of blooming jasmine or ripening tomatoes, or the buzz of a busy bee — these are all immediate, tangible connections to nature.
—Danielle Bauter, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
The 2021 growing season was cooler than average with maturation and ripening less harried than usual.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2024
Certain Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Enzymes in fruits and vegetables promote chemical reactions, such as ripening.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
Other names — which make more sense to parts of the country and the world that don’t have sturgeon fish — include harvest moon, moon of the ripening, grain moon, green corn moon, black cherries moon and plum moon.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
Netting is an effective barrier to keep squirrels away from ripening fruits and vegetables.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2025
Apples won't continue ripening after they're harvested.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Conditions are ripening for such unconventional thoughts.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Leafy cherry trees, the fruit all gone, gobbled up by us and by the birds, and trees with ripening white and flat peaches.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
Faster transit times meant merchants could also load later-ripening varieties from Basra at the head of the Gulf.
—Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
The feeling of rich soil sifting through our fingers, the way the earth smells after a rain, the sweet fragrance of blooming jasmine or ripening tomatoes, or the buzz of a busy bee — these are all immediate, tangible connections to nature.
—Danielle Bauter, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
The 2021 growing season was cooler than average with maturation and ripening less harried than usual.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2024
Certain Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Enzymes in fruits and vegetables promote chemical reactions, such as ripening.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 10 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripening
Noun
-
Before flowering, the vegetative portion of the plant resembles the desirable amaranth grown for flowers and seeds.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Numerous species are commercially available, from the culinary classic common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) to colorful flowering groundcovers such as elfin thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and creeping thyme (Thymus praecox).—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Efforts to expand retail investors’ access to private markets in Europe took a significant step forward this week with the launch of a new investment vehicle, but concerns remain about growing exposure to the relatively risky assets.—
Jenni Reid,Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Bateman's character, Vince Friedken, battles a gambling addiction in a trailer for the crime thriller, as Law's Jake Friedken celebrates the growing success of his buzzy establishment.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Nearly 200 Years of Sherry Cask Tradition Founded in 1826 in the Valley of Forgue in Aberdeenshire, GlenDronach has spent almost two centuries quietly perfecting the art of sherry cask maturation.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
On first glance, a higher maturation rate may appear to be positive, but developing too quickly can create problems with how oocytes prepare for reproduction, Duval said.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sabalenka has been true to her word in New York, claiming straight-sets victories in her first four matches before progressing to the last four after Markéta Vondroušová withdrew with a knee injury.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Ragans is progressing toward a return and will likely pitch in a rehab game this weekend.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Bright said health care and economic development are also high on his list of priorities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Sep. 2025
-
That the Chiefs could hardly bother Herbert without blitzing — and often not even then — was the most alarming development of the night for KC.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Rather than competing on spend, Olson has centered PacSun’s growth on listening, embedding the customer voice into decisions across product, marketing, and data.—
Jamie Gutfreund,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The team behind the research noted that many of these genes are tied to developmental delay, which may have played a role in the slower pace of postnatal brain growth in humans compared to chimpanzees.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This evolution in masculinity, where vulnerability and authenticity are valued, moves away from the restrictive path in which the men interviewed by USA TODAY were raised.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Leaning into its own evolution over retro homage or elegant pastiche, Art of Vengeance shows the value that a two-dimensional platformer can have at a time when exorbitant AAA games all suffer from overly ambitious bloat.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ripening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripening. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share