coalesce
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to grow together or into one body.
The two lakes coalesced into one.
-
to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc..
The various groups coalesced into a crowd.
-
to blend or come together.
Their ideas coalesced into one theory.
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- coalescence noun
- coalescent adjective
- noncoalescence noun
- noncoalescent adjective
- noncoalescing adjective
- uncoalescent adjective
Etymology
Origin of coalesce
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin coalēscere, equivalent to co- co- + al- (stem of alere “to nourish, make grow”) + -escere -esce
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.
In the runoff, Harris will face only Fuller, who may see Georgia's Republicans coalesce behind him.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
As entertainment media become dominant, they naturally coalesce around formats best suited for the technology and business model.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
Even if Khamenei was somehow removed, the regime would likely coalesce quickly around a new leader, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
The episode that he wrote involves an elected government official taking a very public stand against authoritarianism, propaganda and genocide in a speech meant to coalesce the various resistance cells into one Rebel Alliance.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025
As soon as there was a centre of gravity, or a ‘home’ in the sound, the relationship between chords also started to coalesce into hierarchies.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
