caramelize
verb
car·a·mel·ize
ˈkär-mə-ˌlīz 
ˈker-ə-mə-,
ˈka-rə-mə-
caramelized; caramelizing
1
transitive
: to subject (sugar or the sugar content of a food) to caramelization : to change into caramel (see caramel sense 1) by heating at high temperature
… flan bathed in caramelized sugar and topped with whipped cream …—
Penelope Casas
Penelope CasasAt a restaurant, some unlucky prep cook gets to peel, slice, and caramelize bags of onions in the morning.—Stephanie Alleyne
Stephanie Alleyne2
intransitive
: to change to caramel
Fructose begins to rapidly caramelize at around 200 degrees …—Matthew Card
: to undergo caramelization
Matthew CardThese sweet potatoes caramelize slightly in the oven, which gives them a sweet crunch as their flesh remains creamy.—Lesley Porcelli
Lesley PorcelliExamples of caramelize in a Sentence
The onions will take five minutes to caramelize.
Caramelize two cups of sugar.
Continue stirring until the sugar caramelizes.
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s topped with melty Swiss cheese, a pile of peppery arugula and rich, caramelized onions.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 21 May 2024
Its taste crosses the nutty, caramelized purity of homemade ghee with the unmistakable whomp of pork.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2024
Continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes, turning halfway through or until honey has caramelized and the croissant is crispy.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2024
According to the description, the perfume weaves notes of bergamot, red apple, cotton candy, iris and freesia, buttery popcorn, warm sandalwood, vanilla bean and caramelized amber.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 8 May 2024
Bargain order: the child’s burger meal with fries and a drink, $7.55 plain or about $11 all the way with cheese, bacon, peppers and caramelized onions.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2024
Each of those warm, caramelized orange halves is then plated with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, an additional sprinkle of cardamom and a sprig of mint for an absolutely delightful dessert.
—Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Good & Gather Buffalo-Style Wings Bright orange in color, these huge wings have plenty of Buffalo sauce and develop a crust that caramelizes nicely in the oven.
—Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
This process coaxes and caramelizes the sugars from the shallots and garlic and creates umami without the help of fish sauce or snails.
—Diep Tran, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 21 May 2024
Its taste crosses the nutty, caramelized purity of homemade ghee with the unmistakable whomp of pork.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2024
Continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes, turning halfway through or until honey has caramelized and the croissant is crispy.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2024
According to the description, the perfume weaves notes of bergamot, red apple, cotton candy, iris and freesia, buttery popcorn, warm sandalwood, vanilla bean and caramelized amber.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 8 May 2024
Bargain order: the child’s burger meal with fries and a drink, $7.55 plain or about $11 all the way with cheese, bacon, peppers and caramelized onions.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2024
Each of those warm, caramelized orange halves is then plated with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, an additional sprinkle of cardamom and a sprig of mint for an absolutely delightful dessert.
—Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Good & Gather Buffalo-Style Wings Bright orange in color, these huge wings have plenty of Buffalo sauce and develop a crust that caramelizes nicely in the oven.
—Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
This process coaxes and caramelizes the sugars from the shallots and garlic and creates umami without the help of fish sauce or snails.
—Diep Tran, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caramelize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near caramelize
Cite this Entry
“Caramelize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caramelize. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share