ripple
verb
rip·ple
| \ ˈri-pəl
\
\
rippled;
rippling\ ˈri-p(ə-)liŋ
\
\
Definition of ripple
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to become lightly ruffled or covered with small waves
b
: to flow in small waves
c
: to fall in soft undulating folds
the scarf rippled to the floor
2
: to flow with a light rise and fall of sound or inflection
laughter rippled over the audience
3
: to move with an undulating motion or so as to cause ripples
the canoe rippled through the water
4
: to have or produce a ripple effect : spread
the news rippled outwards
1
: to stir up small waves on
2
: to impart a wavy motion or appearance to
rippling his arm muscles
3
: to utter or play with a slight rise and fall of sound
ripple
nounDefinition of ripple (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: a shallow stretch of rough water in a stream
b(1)
: the ruffling of the surface of water
(2)
: a small wave
2a
: ripple mark
b
: a sound like that of rippling water
a ripple of laughter
c
: a usually slight noticeable effect or reaction
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Other Words from ripple
Verb
rippler
\ ˈri-p(ə-)lər
\
noun
\
noun
Noun
ripply
\ ˈri-p(ə-)lē
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for ripple
Synonyms: Verb
bubble, dribble, guggle, gurgle, lap, plash, splash, trickle, wash
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of ripple in a Sentence
Verb
Water rippled under the dock. We could see the lion's muscles ripple. A cool breeze rippled the water.Noun
The pebble made ripples in the pond when I threw it in.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The gyrations have rippled across corporate America, prompting manufacturers, retailers and others that rely on imports for their businesses to try to adjust their strategies based on the president’s latest whim. — Alan Rappeport, New York Times, "How 4 Companies Struggle to Navigate Trump’s Trade Uncertainty," 29 Aug. 2019 But the island’s political crisis has rippled through Washington as the turmoil continues to unfold. — Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, "Trump administration to place new restrictions on billions in aid for Puerto Rico amid island’s political crisis," 1 Aug. 2019 The 737 Max grounding has rippled throughout the airline industry: Airlines have canceled flights, dropped routes, left airports and suspended plane purchases. — Anneken Tappe, CNN, "What to expect from Friday's GDP report," 25 July 2019 Definitely on my like list: the motion of the lotus blossoms, which reminds me of the June Taylor Dancers (Kids, ask your nana), and the rippling fire-ography near the end, after the tower emerges. — Dewayne Bevil, orlandosentinel.com, "Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Getting into the swim of ‘Rivers of Light: We Are One'," 3 July 2019 The dispute has rippled through the broader outdoor community. — Christine Yu, Outside Online, "What Happened at the SHIFT Festival?," 25 June 2019 Researchers can now program synthetic tissue to make coils, cubes and rippling plates. — Quanta Magazine, "Tissue Engineers Hack Life’s Code for 3-D Folded Shapes," 16 June 2019 Rumors and reports of ICE raids have rippled through communities and social media with regularity; arrests of parents, recorded on their children’s cell phone cameras, have provoked nationwide outrage. — Dara Lind, Vox, "“Abolish ICE,” explained," 19 Mar. 2018 Also February: While Los Angeles was experiencing one of the coldest, rainy winters in recent memory, digital warriors engaged in an act of online trolling that would have widespread consequences of rippling cruelty. — Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: A YouTube star’s fans listed his mansion as a homeless shelter. Then the needy showed up.," 2 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The shooting sent ripples of fear through the cities of Odessa and Midland, which were placed on lockdown for much of the afternoon. — Anchorage Daily News, "Five killed, 21 injured after suspect hijacks mail truck in Odessa, Texas," 1 Sep. 2019 The murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October sent ripples of revulsion throughout the world, endangering the crown prince's efforts to rebrand the country as modern and moderate. — Saphora Smith, NBC News, "Saudi cleric Salman al-Awda who called for reform could be sentenced to death," 26 July 2019 The public takeover of the troubled northern Chinese lender has sent ripples through the country’s money market as investors have worried about potential write-downs. — Mike Bird, WSJ, "Trump’s Most Powerful Weapon in the U.S.-China Trade Fight," 27 June 2019 The demise of Wow Air earlier this year sent ripples through the industry, but the scope of its service was largely Iceland. — Catharine Hamm, latimes.com, "Flying this summer? Pack a backup plan, and breathe deeply if that's possible," 17 June 2019 But every year, a smattering of high-profile attacks on tourists sends ripples through the regional hospitality industry. — CBS News, "Some info "doesn't match" statements about attack on U.S. woman at Dominican resort, police say," 3 June 2019 Still, the inversion sent a ripple through U.S. markets Wednesday. — Washington Post, "Treasury yields invert, warning of possible recession," 15 Aug. 2019 The deaths of central characters leave barely a ripple. — Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Kitchen': Film Review," 7 Aug. 2019 Such a move by the nation's largest exporter could send a ripple through the U.S. economy. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, "Southwest to end Newark Airport service due to 737 grounding," 25 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ripple.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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