as in flowering
the process of becoming mature
the ripening of a pumpkin can take a whole season
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in growing
to become mature
pears ripening on the tree
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 ripening
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
Mueller did this by placing leaves under the ripening fruit.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
Check the tomatoes every few days and move the ripening ones to a warmer, lit area.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
Apples won't continue ripening after they're harvested.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Conditions are ripening for such unconventional thoughts.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Leafy cherry trees, the fruit all gone, gobbled up by us and by the birds, and trees with ripening white and flat peaches.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
Faster transit times meant merchants could also load later-ripening varieties from Basra at the head of the Gulf.
—Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
The 2021 growing season was cooler than average with maturation and ripening less harried than usual.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
Other names — which make more sense to parts of the country and the world that don’t have sturgeon fish — include harvest moon, moon of the ripening, grain moon, green corn moon, black cherries moon and plum moon.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
Nature is rife with naturally occurring ethanol, particularly from ripening fruit, and that fruit in turn is consumed by various microorganisms and animal species.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
Mueller did this by placing leaves under the ripening fruit.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
Check the tomatoes every few days and move the ripening ones to a warmer, lit area.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
Apples won't continue ripening after they're harvested.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Conditions are ripening for such unconventional thoughts.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Leafy cherry trees, the fruit all gone, gobbled up by us and by the birds, and trees with ripening white and flat peaches.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
Faster transit times meant merchants could also load later-ripening varieties from Basra at the head of the Gulf.
—Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
The 2021 growing season was cooler than average with maturation and ripening less harried than usual.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripening
Noun
-
To make this flowering pumpkin, purchase 40-50 florists vials (available at crafts supply stores).—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Sep. 2025
-
This likely explains the trees’ lack of flowering.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Mineral explorers hoping to meet the growing demand for rare earths are vying for a slice of nearly $1 billion in Brazilian funding to help make their projects a reality in a country with the largest reserves after China.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
In the battle to usurp the Conservative Party, Robinson is eclipsed by the growing strength of Reform UK, a political party led by Nigel Farage.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The season's emphasis on unconventional pairings and novel self-expression points toward industry maturation beyond traditional seasonal constraints, with brands offering consumers permission for creative styling approaches.—
Kaleigh Moore,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
According to Zhao Yuli, chief strategy officer at Galbot, these deployments have come alongside a surge of investor interest and government support in the sector, as well as the maturation of both robotics and generative AI technology.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Still the Yankees are seemingly in better position given how the starting pitching for the most part is performing and how Aaron Judge is progressing.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The two incidents meant that neither had a chance of making the top five and progressing to Monday’s final, prompting Van de Velde’s act of kindness.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The application comes after an unrelated one was filed in June 2024 seeking a coastal development permit to tie two lots together and build five new 1,494-square-foot two-story duplexes at 1271 and 1277 Cave St.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
-
This increase followed positive developments that reignited investor confidence, although the stock is still considerably behind the S&P 500’s 12% year-to-date rise.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Nutrafol Skin Clear Skin Nutraceutical was born because Nutrafol’s team was hearing from dermatologists that some patients taking Nutrafol’s hair growth supplements were also noticing their acne clear up.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Economists expect the yuan could strengthen to 7 per dollar by the end of this year — a conviction driven in large part by Beijing's efforts to revive economic growth and encourage more investment onshore.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
First launched in 1984 with a $250 annual fee (equivalent to $777 in 2025, based on the average rate of inflation), this distinctive card became a global status symbol through the years, morphing into a sleek, weighty metal card that costs more and more with each new evolution.—
Katherine Fan,
AFAR Media,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The decision to expand there was motivated by the region’s ongoing social evolution catalyzed by the growing expat communities of Indians, Russians and British, Nomad cofounder Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte told WWD.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ripening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripening. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share