thicken

Object

• mucus: It also thickens the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to get into the womb.
• epoxy: Then drill the smaller hole through the thickened epoxy.
• gravy: To serve - slice the meat and serve with the thickened gravy.
• sauce: Remove the bay leaf and serve the beef olives with the onions and thickened sauce.
• soup: Crush some of the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the soup.
• cloud: Thin high cloud thickened during the morning with frontal cloud over Ireland moving into the Irish Sea.

Modifying Another Word

• slightly: Bring to the boil and cook until thickened slightly.
• gradually: The hormones also cause the womb lining to thicken gradually.
• again: The bottle rim was again thickened with a ring of epoxy modeling putty.
• enough: Blend until the mixture thickens enough to let you bring it together in your hands.
• then: Continue to cook until thickened then remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
• much: If the sauce thickens too much, adjust it by whisking in a spoonful of hot water.

Followed by an intransitive particle

• up: My sons skull has thickened up in the places he head bangs the most.

Followed by a transitive particle

• up: Thicken up runny low-fat yogurt by stirring in a spoonful of lard.

Used with why or when

• when: Marcia goes missing and the plot thickens when her teachers / landlord etc deny ever knowing her.

Preposition: of

• skin: Thickening of this skin indicates a higher risk of Down's syndrome.
• tissue: This is because of swelling and then thickening of the connective tissue which becomes fibrotic or scarred.
• artery: In most cases, the cause of angina is coronary atherosclerosis ( thickening of the arteries supplying blood to the heart ).

Preposition: with

• flour: These sauces were usually thickened with wheat flour or crumbled pastry.
• cornflour: Can be thickened with a little cornflour if desired.