How to Use thicken in a Sentence

thicken

verb
  • I thickened the gravy with flour.
  • The fog thickened when night fell.
  • When the mixture thickens, add the remaining ingredients.
  • Squish a few of the beans with the back of the spoon to thicken the broth.
    Leanne Brown, CNN, 4 May 2022
  • Through Tonight: Clouds will thicken through the night.
    Washington Post, 6 Aug. 2021
  • But there is still time for their tails to thicken up a bit.
    Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 10 Nov. 2022
  • Strain the beef juices from the crockpot first before adding to the roux to thicken up the gravy.
    Kellie Speed, chicagotribune.com, 7 Mar. 2021
  • Just try not to scratch too much; this can cause the skin to thicken in those spots.
    Noel Cody, Essence, 25 June 2021
  • Add the flour, stir well, and cook for a further minute or so, to thicken the juices.
    Ruby Tandoh, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2021
  • Like the stall walls have thickened and the ceiling has lowered and the light has dimmed.
    Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
  • Stir until the sauce starts to thicken, about 1 minute.
    Tribune News Service, cleveland, 9 Aug. 2022
  • Water can be added to thin the chili down, and flour can be added to thicken.
    Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Oct. 2021
  • Toward the end of cooking, open the lid to allow the chili to thicken.
    Tribune News Service, cleveland, 16 Nov. 2021
  • The ground oats need a bit of time to absorb the liquid and, in turn, to thicken the batter.
    Sarah Jampel, Bon Appétit, 14 Jan. 2022
  • There’s also a small amount of rice in the broth to thicken it slightly.
    Melissa Clark, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2023
  • Thin bezel wraps around the top and sides of the screen but thickens up a bit below the display.
    PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
  • Stir in a scoop near the end of cooking time to thicken the texture.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2023
  • As the sauce begins to thicken, add the fenugreek leaves.
    Washington Post, 4 Jan. 2022
  • Whisk in the flour mixture and cook for 5 minutes to thicken the gravy and cook out the raw flour taste.
    Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2022
  • Clouds tend to thicken up late night, and there could be a few snowflakes in the air by sunrise.
    Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2021
  • But when the evening rolls around, clouds will thicken, and rain is likely overnight.
    oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Because using all the meat from a large bird will thicken the stew to the point where the dumplings won’t be able to float.
    Sheri Castle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2024
  • Don’t worry if the pesto looks too thin: The sauce will thicken from the pasta starch.
    Tribune News Service, cleveland, 18 Mar. 2021
  • All-purpose flour: Used to thicken the sauce of the casserole.
    Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023
  • The cranberries will pop and burst, and the sauce will thicken and glisten.
    Aleksandra Crapanzano / Photographs By F. Martin Ramin/the Wall Street Journal, Food Styling By Kim Ramin , WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023
  • Keeping the road snow-free allows the ice to thicken through the season.
    Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Dec. 2021
  • Clouds will drop and thicken, and a few showers may pop up by pre-dawn.
    Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
  • The mucus thickens even more in the final three days and becomes crusty.
    Rebecca Stewart, Parents, 21 Dec. 2023
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until most (or all) of the berries have burst; the natural juice from the cranberries is what thickens the sauce.
    Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024
  • The plot has thickened over the fate of Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball as another person is claiming legal ownership of the piece of baseball history.
    Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thicken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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