germinate

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.

Jumping straight into a list of major to-dos would leave little time for ideas to germinate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

And getting certification is a rigorous, costly process, as seeds need to be tested in a laboratory for their purity and things like how well they germinate.

From BBC • Jul. 20, 2025

It is filled with bacterial spores that, when exposed to nutrients present in compost, germinate and break down the material at the end of its life cycle.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2024

Across California and Arizona, there are stretches of desert that can quickly transform into dense fields of wildflowers, since seeds lie dormant in the soil and then germinate and blossom at around the same time.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 20, 2024

Seasonal changes of day length, temperature, and rainfall constitute signals that stimulate seeds to germinate, seedlings to grow, and mature plants to develop flowers, seeds, and fruit.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond