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

Southern California received heavy rain last summer, unlike its usually dry summers, which she said probably stimulated flowers to germinate out of season.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 20, 2024

Maybe we all have in us a secret pond where evil and ugly things germinate and grow strong.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck