as in splashes
to flow in a broken irregular stream
water rippling gently over the tiers of the fountain
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Recent Examples of ripples
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 29 Apr. 2026
These branches receive molecular signals at one end of a neuron and induce the cell to rapidly fire an electrical charge that ripples down the cell body, known as an action potential.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
Chaos ripples out from the Oval Office hourly as from rocks dumped into a pond.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Indeed, his imprint ripples outward, from the interstellar swagger of OutKast and the android futurism of Janelle Monáe to the mystical poise of Erykah Badu and the sculptural, otherworldly aesthetics of Solange, Grace Wales Bonner, and Pharrell Williams.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2026
That psychedelic wash of overtone-rich sound that ripples through the chorus of Donovan’s 1968 hit?
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Violence ripples out Irvin, 22, was dead just 10 days later.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The result is a cost shock that ripples through almost every device with a memory slot.
—Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
As a doctor is forced to flee Aleppo with her young daughter, one desperate choice sets off a chain of events that ripples across borders and interlocking stories.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
His impact ripples through foundational pieces still on the Broncos’ roster — Garett Bolles, Courtland Sutton, Surtain and Alex Singleton.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 29 Apr. 2026
These branches receive molecular signals at one end of a neuron and induce the cell to rapidly fire an electrical charge that ripples down the cell body, known as an action potential.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
Chaos ripples out from the Oval Office hourly as from rocks dumped into a pond.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Indeed, his imprint ripples outward, from the interstellar swagger of OutKast and the android futurism of Janelle Monáe to the mystical poise of Erykah Badu and the sculptural, otherworldly aesthetics of Solange, Grace Wales Bonner, and Pharrell Williams.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2026
That psychedelic wash of overtone-rich sound that ripples through the chorus of Donovan’s 1968 hit?
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Violence ripples out Irvin, 22, was dead just 10 days later.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The result is a cost shock that ripples through almost every device with a memory slot.
—Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
As a doctor is forced to flee Aleppo with her young daughter, one desperate choice sets off a chain of events that ripples across borders and interlocking stories.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripples
Verb
-
Based on Every Summer After, the best-selling book by Carley Fortune, the series splashes onto the streamer June 10 with all episodes.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
How To Water Begonias The best time of day to water begonias is in the morning so any water that splashes onto the leaves can dry before the sun goes down.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rain typically washes pollen out of the air.—
Keerti Gopal,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
-
Scientists at the University of Miami have found that some sargassum, the brown seaweed that regularly washes ashore on Florida's beaches, may have a different origin than previously anticipated.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Devoid of facial hair but sporting golden curls, the cherubic Parsons meets me at a Hollywood hotel’s courtyard restaurant in April just a few days after putting the final touches on his movie.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Streisand also embraced her natural curls for the event.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Spots for leisure are in no way hard to find; SEA is a stone's throw away from waterfront lounges like Kingfisher, which bubbles with live music, seafood, and a lively clientele, as well as new Italian spot Forno and art space Sachs Gallery.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Cook on a skillet over medium heat using butter or coconut oil and flip once bubbles form.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This ruling has far-reaching repercussions.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
The national debt might encapsulate all those universal concerns into a single issue, its repercussions broad and wide-ranging enough that Americans can cast a number of kitchen table concerns onto it.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
This is one of several instances of emotional realism that pierce the film’s temporal veil — turning it, in theory, from a series of recollections into a more pressing and contemporary saga of how war trickles down and transforms the lives of young girls in fundamental ways.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
Where exactly the funding trickles down to isn’t always known.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Israel claimed responsibility for the strikes on the South Pars petrochemical complex in Asaluyeh, a key site for Iran's energy sector, both for production of petroleum by-products and for joint work with Qatar on the world's largest natural gas field.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
These included an ice-cream parlor, souvenir shops, and homes repurposed into Airbnbs—all by-products of a growing tourism industry on Fogo.—
Akash Kapur,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Among his earliest campaign donors, according to city filings, is top unscripted producer Jeff Jenkins, known for producing The Simple Life as well as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its offshoots.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
The Forest Service approved chainsaw work on 61 trails, most of which are considered mainline or secondary trails — the primary routes in the wilderness and the initial offshoots that branch from them.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ripples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripples. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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