ripen

verb

ˈrī-pən How to pronounce ripen (audio)
Definition of ripennext
as in to grow
to become mature pears ripening on the tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 ripen Nebbiolo is best known as the grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco, but this wine’s grapes, grown on an organic parcel in Clarksburg, ripen entirely differently than on the foggy hillsides of Piedmont. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Size Matters Smaller tomatoes generally ripen several days to as much as three weeks before large slicing tomatoes. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2026 But hotter springs and summers are accelerating the grape-ripening process, creating more sugary fruit and narrowing the optimum picking window for Champagne. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026 The deep blue berries that ripen in the fall stay on the plant until they are eaten by birds and other wildlife. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ripen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripen
  1. grow
  2. progress
Verb
  • As the affiliate industry grows, particularly for fashion brands and beauty brands which increasingly route a growing share of sales through such links, the answer is getting harder to parse.
    — Tom Matsuda, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • According to the memo, Google's electric demand is expected to grow faster than Entergy can add new electricity generation.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of grow
Verb
  • Lake County prosecutors filed to detain Fisher, and he was ordered to remain in jail as his case progresses through the court system.
    — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Technical objectives and operational milestones are expected to be disclosed as the programs progress.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of progress

Browse Nearby Words

ripe
ripen
ripened
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ripen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripen. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All