thickened; thickening
ˈthi-kə-niŋ 
ˈthik-
1
a
: to become dense
the mist thickened
b
: to become concentrated in numbers, mass, or frequency
2
: to grow blurred or obscure
3
: to grow broader or bulkier
4
: to grow complicated or keen
the plot thickens
1
a
: to make thick, dense, or viscous in consistency
thicken gravy with flour
b
: to make close or compact
2
: to increase the depth or diameter of
3
: to make inarticulate : blur
alcohol thickened his speech
Examples of thicken in a Sentence
I thickened the gravy with flour.
When the mixture thickens, add the remaining ingredients.
The fog thickened when night fell.
Recent Examples on the Web
When printing textiles, gum arabic played the indispensable role of a thickening agent that helped bind dyes on fabric.
—
Erik Zou, JSTOR Daily, 25 Apr. 2025
Evangelista later revealed that she had been diagnosed with Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), a rare side effect that affects less than 1% of CoolSculpting patients, in which the freezing process causes the affected fatty tissue to thicken and expand.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
But amid a rapidly thickening cast of characters and a wide variety of different perks to build out your stat sheets, Dead by Daylight almost resembles something like League of Legends in terms of competitive complexity.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
Chia seeds can also be used to thicken sauces or as a binding agent instead of eggs for a vegan version of a favorite recipe.
—Sarah Scott, Verywell Health, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thicken
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Erik Zou, JSTOR Daily, 25 Apr. 2025
Evangelista later revealed that she had been diagnosed with Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), a rare side effect that affects less than 1% of CoolSculpting patients, in which the freezing process causes the affected fatty tissue to thicken and expand.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
But amid a rapidly thickening cast of characters and a wide variety of different perks to build out your stat sheets, Dead by Daylight almost resembles something like League of Legends in terms of competitive complexity.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
Chia seeds can also be used to thicken sauces or as a binding agent instead of eggs for a vegan version of a favorite recipe.
—Sarah Scott, Verywell Health, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thicken
Cite this Entry
“Thicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thicken. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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