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.
  • Add a hearty grain to thicken the broth.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
  • But this week, the plot thickened.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
  • Once again, the plot is sure to thicken from here.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Squish a few of the beans with the back of the spoon to thicken the broth.
    — Leanne Brown, CNN, 4 May 2022
  • The chia seeds will thicken it into a jam.
    — Merve Ceylan, Health, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Just try not to scratch too much; this can cause the skin to thicken in those spots.
    — Noel Cody, Essence, 25 June 2021
  • Snow laced the fields, and the lake had thickened into ice.
    — Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Stir and set aside to hydrate and thicken.
    — Virginia Willis, AJC.com, 8 Feb. 2026
  • This will help to thicken the soup slightly and give it more body.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, The Denver Post, 16 May 2020
  • This was around the same time that the retina thickened.
    — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 13 May 2026
  • At the end, it’s thickened with a roux and served simply over rice.
    — Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Clouds will drop and thicken, and a few showers may pop up by pre-dawn.
    — Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
  • 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
  • The milk thickens and becomes creamy.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 27 Dec. 2025
  • But when the evening rolls around, clouds will thicken, and rain is likely overnight.
    — oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
  • 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
  • Stir in a scoop near the end of cooking time to thicken the texture.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2023
  • Whisk over low heat until the mixture comes to a boil and is thickened.
    — Sarah Fritsche, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Feb. 2018
  • Puree some of the cooked vegetables and use them to thicken your gravy.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
  • The little bit of flour left in the pan helped thicken up the sauce nicely.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Behind me, the crowd thickened.
    — Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
  • After that, the plot thickened.
    — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 18 May 2026
  • This mixture is called a roux and is often used to thicken sauces and soups.
    — Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2023
  • There was just a hint of fog, which would thicken a little toward dawn.
    — Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
  • Clouds tend to thicken up late night, and there could be a few snowflakes in the air by sunrise.
    — Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2021
  • Darken and thicken it for old and scabby goop.
    — Mark Hay, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
  • There’s also a small amount of rice in the broth to thicken it slightly.
    — Melissa Clark, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2023

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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