as in to grow
to become mature
pears ripening on the tree
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Recent Examples of ripen
Many plants opened their blooms in March and should be ripening ready-to-eat pineapples in August.
—
Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2025
Tomatoes continue to ripen after they are picked as long as they are kept at room temperature.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
There is a lot of angst over cream cheese frosting and some clever questions from our wonderful listeners, including a surprising technique to ripen bananas super fast.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
The wider the space between the stripes, the more likely the watermelon has had enough time to ripen and develop a juicy flavor.
—Brittany Poulson, Verywell Health, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripen
Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2025
Tomatoes continue to ripen after they are picked as long as they are kept at room temperature.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
There is a lot of angst over cream cheese frosting and some clever questions from our wonderful listeners, including a surprising technique to ripen bananas super fast.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
The wider the space between the stripes, the more likely the watermelon has had enough time to ripen and develop a juicy flavor.
—Brittany Poulson, Verywell Health, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripen
Verb
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Though best known for corn and soybeans, Indiana also grows a lot of tomatoes (tuh-may-tuhs, as my Hoosier grandfather would have called them).—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
26 July 2025
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Now comes news that many kinds of ticks are expanding their range and growing more abundant in the Midwest.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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The country had turned against Argentine manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino and there was little hope that the CONCACAF giants would progress from Group C that featured Poland, Argentina and Saudi Arabia.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
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From there, Glenn climbed the ladder, progressing from assistant defensive backs coach for the Browns to defensive backs coach for the Saints, to Lions’ defensive coordinator in 2021.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ripen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripen. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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