How to Use ripen in a Sentence

ripen

verb
  • The tomatoes finished ripening on the windowsill.
  • You can ripen the fruit by placing it in a paper bag and storing it at room temperature for a few days.
  • Speak if and when the words ripen.
    — Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • If there's no scent at all, leave it to ripen longer.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 June 2026
  • This will make the plant try to ripen the fruit on the plant faster.
    — oregonlive, 15 Aug. 2020
  • Pears ripen from the inside out.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The bag-ripening process works like a charm.
    — Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
  • When the fruit trees ripen, the walkers bring bags to share.
    — Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Our mango tree has a good crop this year that should ripen soon.
    — Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 8 Aug. 2020
  • Without sun, the fruits will not ripen, and the plants will be stressed.
    — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
  • When left to ripen, the seeds form beans that can be stored and used for soups and casseroles.
    — Author: Adrian Higgins, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Mar. 2020
  • Too much water can cause ripening fruit to crack.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
  • In the nose is pineapple and sun-ripened mango.
    — Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • The skin ripens to bright yellow with green stripes, and the flesh has a pink hue.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
  • If a banana has ripened and become mushy, don't stress!
    — Nashia Baker, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Pears are picked firm on purpose and ripen from the inside out.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026
  • In the process, the fruits stop ripening, turn brown and drop while still hard and small.
    — Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
  • The best way to ripen pears is to set them in a paper bag with a banana.
    — Beth Dooley Special To The Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 4 Nov. 2020
  • Or, set aside to allow the leaves to ripen (turn yellow or brown).
    — Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2018
  • Bananas ripen fast—but these simple habits can help them last longer.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 18 May 2026
  • Store in a warm spot in your kitchen for about one month until fully ripened.
    — Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The fruits ripen late spring through summer and are ready to harvest when soft.
    — Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 23 Mar. 2018
  • As pears ripen off the tree, their flesh gets sweeter, juicer and softer.
    — Darlene Zimmerman, Detroit Free Press, 4 Sep. 2021
  • And then many that did set and start to ripen cracked due to the extra moisture.
    — Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 12 Dec. 2020
  • Also, some farms get picked out and will close a few days to allow the berries to ripen.
    — Sue Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 June 2021
  • The red fall berries persist into winter and ripen to black.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2025
  • The grain was just beginning to ripen and the fields were full of poppies.
    — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2022
  • Shafer decided to drop fruit that year—more than half the crop—just to ripen some of the crop.
    — Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2021
  • Sunlight Peaches need full sun to ripen.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 10 Mar. 2026
  • This will slow the ripening process and reduce the chance of damage.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ripen.' 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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