How to Use germinate in a Sentence

germinate

verb
  • These go to seed, and in the late summer the plants germinate and start the spread.
    Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 21 June 2018
  • Nine of the seeds in the first batch germinated, three of the second and four of the third.
    Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, 8 Sep. 2017
  • But there are a few that will not germinate in the dark.
    Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 16 Feb. 2024
  • The seeds germinate in anywhere from a week to a month.
    Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2024
  • The researchers were even able to coax three of those seeds to germinate and one egg to hatch.
    Erica Tennenhouse, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2017
  • Taylor: Where did the idea for the book first germinate?
    Laura Trujillo, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
  • The seed must be able to make contact with soil to germinate.
    Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, 10 Sep. 2020
  • Look for one or two that take the shortest time to germinate.
    Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Feb. 2022
  • Both of these herbs are best grown from seed sown in place, though both take a while to germinate.
    Pam Peirce, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Dec. 2022
  • The seeds germinate in about three weeks, with plants taking about three months to bloom.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2023
  • The seeds should begin to germinate and grow over the next few months, maybe sooner.
    Teri Webster, Dallas News, 13 Oct. 2020
  • Place the pots in a warm area and keep the planting medium moist until the seeds germinate.
    Jennifer Aldrich, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2023
  • Fast to germinate, these plants can go to seed in as little as 2-3 months.
    Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 25 Apr. 2023
  • And the thinner skin means the plants can germinate more quickly.
    Annalee Newitz, Ars Technica, 26 Jan. 2018
  • If most of the seeds germinate, then use the remaining seeds.
    Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4 May 2018
  • Seeds are formed in pods after the flower fade and are easy to germinate.
    Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 28 Apr. 2018
  • Seeds are formed in pods after the flowers fade and are easy to germinate.
    Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 1 May 2021
  • Seeds germinate in spring and this true grass produces lots of seeds.
    Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Sep. 2022
  • There’s a two-week window between the time when the spores germinate and white mould appears on the plant.
    Scientific American, 7 May 2018
  • The spores attach to the ant and germinate, spreading through the host's body via long tendrils called mycelia.
    Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 July 2019
  • The seeds will not germinate this season because the soil is too warm.
    Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2022
  • The seed would ripen and fall to the ground, germinate the following spring and, in four years, grow to flowering size.
    Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2021
  • The seed germinates and emerges from the soil while the mycorrhizal spore grows below the soil.
    Afdhel Aziz, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023
  • Put the container in a shady spot outdoors for a few days while the seeds germinate.
    Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2024
  • Tall fescues, which are the best seed for our climate and soil, will take 10-14 days to germinate.
    Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 9 Sep. 2023
  • Mistle thrush birds eat the plant's berries, digest the seed, and then help the plant germinate with their droppings.
    Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 23 Sep. 2022
  • When the ground is densely shaded, the seeds can't germinate.
    Jean Nick, Good Housekeeping, 25 June 2018
  • Let all the weed seeds germinate and grow for a few days and then spray them all out with a glyphosate herbicide (e.g. Roundup).
    Kym Pokorny, oregonlive, 26 Sep. 2022
  • New leadership has not been given a chance to germinate.
    Jorge G. Castañeda, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2021
  • Turfgrass seed germinates best when it is broadcast over dry or slightly moist soil.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2024

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