as in boiling
to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam
I gently simmered the chili for an hour
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of simmering
Uses and Benefits Bone broth is a traditional food made by simmering animal bones in water for many hours.
—
Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 1 Feb. 2026
Instead of tackling the usual staples like hierarchy, territoriality, simmering violence and payback, this is primarily a reflection on care work as a gift to the bestower as much as the receiver.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Add shrimp to simmering water in saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked and fully opaque, about 2 minutes.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Just set your alarm an hour earlier, and soon the sweet aromas of biscuits baking and gravy will be simmering.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Although thimerosal has been used safely in medications and vaccines since the 1930s, it's also been the topic of a long-simmering debate that has reignited domestically in the past year.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 30 Jan. 2026
Anxieties were already simmering on the Caribbean island as many drivers sat in long lines this week for gasoline, many unsure of what would come next.
—Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
On a night off, Sophie and Benedict indulge the simmering tension between them and the pair kiss on the staircase.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Brave the wait, and you’ll be greeted by the scent of simmering garlic, Giants decor, and taxidermied marlin leaping off the walls.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 1 Feb. 2026
Instead of tackling the usual staples like hierarchy, territoriality, simmering violence and payback, this is primarily a reflection on care work as a gift to the bestower as much as the receiver.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Add shrimp to simmering water in saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked and fully opaque, about 2 minutes.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Just set your alarm an hour earlier, and soon the sweet aromas of biscuits baking and gravy will be simmering.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Although thimerosal has been used safely in medications and vaccines since the 1930s, it's also been the topic of a long-simmering debate that has reignited domestically in the past year.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 30 Jan. 2026
Anxieties were already simmering on the Caribbean island as many drivers sat in long lines this week for gasoline, many unsure of what would come next.
—Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
On a night off, Sophie and Benedict indulge the simmering tension between them and the pair kiss on the staircase.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Brave the wait, and you’ll be greeted by the scent of simmering garlic, Giants decor, and taxidermied marlin leaping off the walls.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simmering
Verb
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In lieu of complicated controls and systems, these games seized on the high-energy gameplay of intense dogfighting moments, boiling it down into arcadey combat that was more accessible to the masses.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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And Plaschke’s blood-boiling need to make the grand statement way before anything is certain doesn’t prove the Plaschke Curse is alive and well?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Short cooking preparations of okra, such as frying or sauteeing, release less mucilage than long ones, such as stewing.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
14 Jan. 2026
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Not so Wolverhampton Wanderers or West Ham United, who really are stewing in their own juices.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Simmering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simmering. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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