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
Ballantyne Village Way Charlotte, NC 28277 Caviar newbies can dip their toes into the water with Hestia’s A5 Wagyu Striploin Carpaccio, topped with a touch of caviar, caramelized onion and truffle creme fraiche.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 5 July 2024
The special breakfast hot dog, served only on Toki Underground’s anniversary, will wrap a beef frank in an omelet with cheese, kewpie mayonnaise, Japanese barbecue sauce and caramelized onions.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024
From there, brace yourself, the burger is paired with American and Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms plus a housemade barbecue sauce.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 1 July 2024
The Frank gets topped with onions, which are best when they’re started on a fire then set aside to slowly stew and caramelize, melting in with the cream cheese and forming a sort of impromptu French onion dip.
—Allison Robicelli, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for caramelize 
Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 5 July 2024
The special breakfast hot dog, served only on Toki Underground’s anniversary, will wrap a beef frank in an omelet with cheese, kewpie mayonnaise, Japanese barbecue sauce and caramelized onions.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024
From there, brace yourself, the burger is paired with American and Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms plus a housemade barbecue sauce.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 1 July 2024
The Frank gets topped with onions, which are best when they’re started on a fire then set aside to slowly stew and caramelize, melting in with the cream cheese and forming a sort of impromptu French onion dip.
—Allison Robicelli, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for caramelize
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 15 Jul. 2024.
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