thicken

verb

Definition of thickennext
as in to stiffen

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 Outside the Coca-Cola Fan Zone, the crowd started to thicken, and the Waldo army was joined by the blue and yellow of the Bosnian flag. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 Clouds will thicken up this afternoon, and the threat of showers and thundershowers will increase later today. — Aaron Mentkowski, New York Times, 5 July 2026 This two-in-one shampoo and conditioner set is rich in rice protein, vitamin B, and vitamin C to strengthen and thicken the hair shaft, while nourishing the scalp. — Tessa Petak, InStyle, 4 July 2026 For decades, celebrity chefs have been urging us to reserve the starchy water that remains after cooking pasta to help gently thicken and bring the pasta sauce together. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 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
  • Older dogs stiffen up, scratch more, lose a step, and their owners want to help.
    — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • Graham's aorta, at 71, tore, a dissection along a wall stiffened by decades of what the medical examiner called arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
    — Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of stiffen
Verb
  • Tasks like creating content, writing code, building dashboards, creating KPIs or sifting through data to condense and spot trends can now be done in record time.
    — Hanneke Antonelli, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Their accounts below have been translated from Cantonese and condensed and edited for clarity.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of condense
Verb
  • As many Americans have soured on the country in the wake of its brutal campaign in Gaza, Maher’s views have only hardened.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 23 July 2026
  • This is when end-to-end transactions start to take real shape, as collaboration standards harden, legal frameworks get worked out and enterprises rebuild their systems for agents instead of humans.
    — Nirmal Mukhi, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of harden
Verb
  • But to Wilson, historic preservation doesn’t mean freezing a city in amber.
    — Mark Dee July 24, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2026
  • Water benders can freeze ice or raise currents at will; earth benders can move rock or even, in some cases, manipulate metal.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 24 July 2026
Definition of freeze
Verb
  • An offseason conversation with Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes helped Skubal solidify his decision to play in the WBC.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The first Top Gun movie in 1986 helped solidify Tom Cruise as a box office draw, grossing nearly $364 million worldwide.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 July 2026
Definition of solidify
Verb
  • Patriotism rooted in one or the other can curdle into cynicism or nihilism when confronted with evidence that confounds them.
    — Mark Brilliant, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • But if and when that dress turns out to be just one of the outfits for a documentary that goes to the highest bidder, the wedding good vibes will curdle just a little.
    — Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of curdle
Verb
  • Turn cake out onto rack and carefully peel away parchment; discard.
    — Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • Invert cake onto a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
Definition of cake

Browse Nearby Words

thick
thicken
thickened
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thicken. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on thicken

Nglish: Translation of thicken for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All