Perhaps the idea had been germinating there all along but suddenly it was a firm declaration.

Though she'd not said it to herself in so many words, the idea germinated when they'd moved the stern.

New York is where ideas germinate, waiting to be sneezed throughout the world.

Even as the idea germinated, his thoughts drifted away from business.

But the idea germinated and slowly grew into an obsession.

Instead, fresh ideas either did not germinate or were stamped out.

All I want you to do is let the idea germinate.

An idea germinated in his mind, but he decided to wait before approaching her with it.

The idea germinated for a year, however, before he figured out how best to shatter the mirrors.

Even before the idea germinated into the story, she was decided as the protagonist.