coalesce
verb
intransitive verb
Donald Gould I. L. Horowitz C. C. Mengestransitive verb
Walter Meade 
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The meaning of many English words equals the sum of their parts, and coalesce is a fitting example. The word unites the prefix co- (“together”) and the Latin verb alescere, meaning “to grow.” Coalesce is one of a number of English verbs (along with mix, commingle, merge, and amalgamate) that refer to the act of combining parts into a whole. In particular, coalesce usually implies the merging of similar parts to form a cohesive unit, such as a political ideology, a fan-following, or (perish the thought) a Portuguese man-of-war, the body of which includes three types of zooids.
Synonyms
- associate
- combine
- conjoin
- conjugate
- connect
- couple
- fuse
- interfuse
- join
- link (up)
- marry
- unify
- unite
Example Sentences
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2022 And once roasted, let the gratin rest a beat to coalesce—then grab some bread to run through the drippings. WSJ, 26 July 2022 Narrative threads vaguely coalesce: A bearded man piles salvaged planks onto a van. Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, 26 May 2022 For weeks, party officials behind the scenes have urged candidates in what was originally a 10-deep field to step aside and coalesce around one candidate to help defeat Mastriano. Marc Levy, ajc, 12 May 2022 There are a lot of people who are struggling to bring about reforms in their community and struggling to bring reforms nationally to end gerrymandering or institute term limits — whatever part of the reform agenda, it’s yet to fully coalesce. Darcel Rockett, chicagotribune.com, 15 Apr. 2022 In many cases, his songs’ best passages are outros, in which tossed-off riffs and refrains coalesce for a slow-cresting high. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Aug. 2022 The mainstay menu preserves the legacy of Ricky Pichetrungsi, Justin’s father, whose recipes coalesce his Thai upbringing and Cantonese heritage. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2022 The airline industry is being to coalesce around a roadmap of what's feasible and what's needed to achieve it, said Graver. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 9 June 2022 See More Word History
Latin coalescere, from co- + alescere to grow — more at old
circa 1541, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Medical Definition
coalesce
intransitive verb
coalesce
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- combine
- unite
- fuse
- connect
- unify
- join
- conjoin
- couple
- conjugate
- associate
- marry
- interfuse
- mate
- link (up)
- congregate
- reunite
- league
- confederate
- cluster
- convene
- recombine
- compound
- assemble
- constellate
- rejoin
- splice
- yoke
- chain
- reconnect
- gather
- ally
- meet
- hook
- reunify
- hitch
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- split
- separate
- section
- sever
- divide
- isolate
- resolve
- dissociate
- break up
- part
- detach
- fractionate
- disconnect
- disperse
- dissever
- sunder
- uncouple
- divorce
- disband
- scatter
- unlink
- disunite
- disjoin
- disjoint
- disaffiliate
- unyoke
Synonyms & Similar Words
- cooperate
- unite
- collaborate
- merge
- federate
- cohere
- converge
- organize
- confederate
- conjoin
- consolidate
- pull together
- league
- club
- ally
- amalgamate
- join
- combine
- close ranks
- associate
- group
- incorporate
- hang together
- band (together)
- cabal
- unionize
- affiliate
- link
- gang up
- conglomerate
- tie
- team (up)
- knot
- wed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- split
- dissolve
- disband
- separate
- segregate
- break up
- detach
- disengage
- sever
- part
- divorce
- alienate
- fall out
- disunite
- sunder
- estrange
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of coalesce are amalgamate, blend, commingle, fuse, merge, mingle, and mix. While all these words mean "to combine into a more or less uniform whole," coalesce implies an affinity in the merging elements and usually a resulting organic unity.
While the synonyms amalgamate and coalesce are close in meaning, amalgamate implies the forming of a close union without complete loss of individual identities.
The synonyms blend and coalesce are sometimes interchangeable, but blend implies that the elements as such disappear in the resulting mixture.
The words commingle and coalesce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, commingle implies a closer or more thorough mingling.
The words fuse and coalesce can be used in similar contexts, but fuse stresses oneness and indissolubility of the resulting product.
Although the words merge and coalesce have much in common, merge suggests a combining in which one or more elements are lost in the whole.
The meanings of mingle and coalesce largely overlap; however, mingle usually suggests that the elements are still somewhat distinguishable or separately active.
While in some cases nearly identical to coalesce, mix may or may not imply loss of each element's identity.