Synonyms

crystallize

American

[kris-tl-ahyz] / ˈkrɪs tlˌaɪz /

especially British, crystallise

verb (used with object)

to form into crystals; cause to assume crystalline form.
to give definite or concrete form to.

to crystallize an idea.
to coat with sugar.

verb (used without object)

to form crystals; become crystalline in form.
to assume definite or concrete form.

crystallize British

/ ˈkrɪstəˌlaɪz /

verb

to form or cause to form crystals; assume or cause to assume a crystalline form or structure
to coat or become coated with sugar

crystallized fruit
to give a definite form or expression to (an idea, argument, etc) or (of an idea, argument, etc) to assume a recognizable or definite form

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Present

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Etymology

Origin of crystallize

First recorded in 1590–1600; crystall- + -ize

Vocabulary lists containing crystallize

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even the Piker issue—the one that seems to crystallize so much of the anxiety there—he treated as over-indexed.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026

“When things crystallize like this, it brings out the pitchforks and the torches,” said Marc Cenedella, CEO of the jobs platform Ladders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Outlook statements from the wave of earnings reports expected over the next two weeks will crystallize that view.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

The book didn’t crystallize until April, after a conversation with Jonathan White, a captain in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

Gradually, as the nights passed, these fictional relatives began to crystallize in their minds.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023