ripen
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become ripe.
ripened
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.
The water saved the young vines, but the heat ripened the château’s grapes faster, forcing Perrin to start harvesting in early August, three weeks early.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Maintaining storage temperatures near 12°C may allow mangoes to be harvested earlier, transported over longer distances, and ripened closer to their final markets while minimizing spoilage and quality loss.
From Science Daily ● May 23, 2026
At 72, Uncle Thing wakes up at dawn every day and weaves around his hilly farm to collect ripened durians, either dangling from trees or nestling on nets close to the ground.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026
Bruce Nauman’s celebrated Conceptual art ripened during the decade he worked in Pasadena.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2025
“It became routine for us as the corn ripened to pull all-night guard watches because the army would pick us clean,” he wrote.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
