steeping

verb

present participle of steep
1
as in suffusing
to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle grew up steeped in the ways of his ancestors a town steeped in history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in soaking
to wet thoroughly with liquid chew fresh ginger that has been steeped in hot water to aid digestion

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 steeping Meanwhile, steeping the banana peels in milk gives the topping an extra layer of banana flavor without adding extra fruit or moisture. — Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026 When her plants need a bit of extra support, Etemadipour might also add leftover tea by re-steeping tea leaves and using the second, weaker cup directly in her garden. — Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 28 June 2026 Make spearmint tea by steeping fresh or dried spearmint leaves in hot water. — Lindsey Desoto, Health, 1 June 2026 The flavor craze began back in 2023 when social media users were steeping black tea bags in a bottle of Sprite. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 May 2026 The fine-mesh stainless steel strainer is perfect for steeping tea directly inside the bottle. — New Atlas, 12 May 2026 Coconut water is naturally occurring inside the fruit, while banana water is made by steeping banana peels in water or using enzymes to extract nutrients. — Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 16 Feb. 2026 Or, scent the vinegar by steeping 1 cup of citrus peels in 2 cups of vinegar for about a week; strain out the peels and label the bottle. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 10 Feb. 2026 Others were involved in an anticapitalist movement called Reclaim the Streets, or were steeping themselves in countercultural histories. — Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steeping
  1. suffusing
  2. soaking
  3. infusing
  4. saturating
  5. inoculating
  6. macerating
  7. drowning
  8. immersing
Verb
  • The threat of shattered glass if the bottle breaks, the subsequent odor suffusing all the items in your carryon, liquids seeping dangerously close to electronics—none of it sounds like a good idea.
    — Chloe Schama, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But Pete took the idea one step further, taking the organization’s iconic symbol — the star — and suffusing it with a deeper meaning.
    — Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of suffusing
Verb
  • The deep soaking tub and clear shower stall are set pieces in the room, creating a real open and airy feel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Rounding out the spectrum, a hot tub or soaking tub is a pricier, high-maintenance pick but a reliable crowd pleaser.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of soaking
Verb
  • After studying Central Texas barbecue online and on TV, Santana began infusing his classic Southern meats with the Dominican flavors of oregano, sofrito, adobo, sour orange, molasses, honey, and achiote.
    — Hilary Cadigan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The new record is the closest that the two have come to infusing their distinctive DJing style into their original productions.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of infusing
Verb
  • Hazardous floods could occur if back-to-back storms dump heavy rains over several days, saturating the soil in the mountains and filling reservoirs.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Fortunately, labels both affordable and luxury are coming out with new takes on this trend like clockwork, saturating the market with colorful jackets for every personal aesthetic and practical need under the sun (or, more accurately, the rain).
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of saturating
Verb
  • The effectiveness of the standard flu shot typically ranges from 22% to 56% in inoculating the population against the illness, according to Mayo Clinic.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Soldiers were self-inoculating without quarantine—which led to rampant rates of infection.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of inoculating
Verb
  • This technique is called macerating, allowing the fruit to soften and the natural juices to come out.
    — Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 June 2026
  • This recipe solves that problem by macerating the diced rhubarb and strawberries with sugar before folding them into the muffin batter.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
Definition of macerating
Verb
  • Peterson was found guilty of drowning his third wife, Kathleen Savio, in 2012.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • India’s courts are drowning in documents — and even recording witness testimony can create a bottleneck.
    — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • Related Stories From football camp to visceral, harrowing sequences of war in the Pacific, the story takes audiences through it all, immersing them in the experience.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Bass did, riding her bicycle to campaign headquarters and immersing herself in the senator’s bid for the White House.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of immersing

Browse Nearby Words

steeped
steeping
steeply
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Steeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steeping. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All