thicken

verb

Definition of thickennext
as in to stiffen

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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 thicken Temper the egg and cheese mixture with hot pasta water, then toss it with the spaghetti off the heat so the eggs thicken into a silky sauce instead of scrambling. — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026 Follow aeration by overseeding the lawn, as this will thicken the lawn canopy with desirable grass species. — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026 Tomato paste helps thicken the sauce while adding tangy sweetness. — Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 12 Aug. 2026 This fruit cobbler starts with a base of fresh strawberries and blueberries tossed with sugar and cornstarch to sweeten and thicken. — Terrence Hayes, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thicken
  1. stiffen
  2. condense
  3. harden
  4. freeze
  5. solidify
  6. curdle
  7. cake
Verb
  • But after a quick touchdown drive to take a 34-27 lead, the Oregon defense stiffened, and closed out the win with back-to-back stops.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Bile rose in Evie’s throat and her body stiffened under his touch.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of stiffen
Verb
  • The steam is then condensed back into water and reused in a closed cycle.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The following highlights from their conversation have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
    — September 9, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of condense
Verb
  • Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is facing a tight contest for a Senate seat, also hardened his stance against data centers recently.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The rare trip by CIA chief John Ratcliffe failed to persuade Putin to stop the war and may have hardened the Russian’s leaders resolve to seek military victory.
    — Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of harden
Verb
  • In 2022, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, then and now the reigning Olympic dressage champion, chose to apply for the points-freezing process when stepping away to have her second child.
    — Tilly Berendt, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Those same items could also be made now, with the products frozen and canned for later consumption.
    — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of freeze
Verb
  • Blankenship fills a spot that was not entirely solidified in 2025.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Businesses adopting RfP early should expect to encounter edge cases without clear precedent and should build internal processes for manual exception handling until industry norms solidify.
    — Ivaylo Bozoukov, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of solidify
Verb
  • But Buddy, the feature debut of Casper Kelly, lets the genre’s relentlessly upbeat tone slowly curdle in the opening sequence, in which one of the kids refuses to play along with day’s lesson about being brave and trying new things.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Yet there is little time for the thought to curdle, because this game is a Monday night maelstrom.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of curdle
Verb
  • The army has published footage of rescues via helicopter, and of people being pulled out of the hydropower tunnels, completely caked in mud.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Fore says borax can cake up and leave residue behind if it isn’t fully dissolved and rinsed out.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of cake

Browse Nearby Words

thick
thicken
thickened
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Cite this Entry

“Thicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thicken. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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