The main entry lists the sixteen classical samskaras by name without describing what any involves; a closer look at a few of the earliest shows how the "refinement" the term names was worked out in concrete ritual detail.
Namakarana, the naming ceremony, performed on the tenth or twelfth day after birth, involves a priest whispering the chosen name into the infant's ear along with mantras, often selecting a name according to astrological calculation, on the premise that a name carries real effect on character and fortune rather than functioning as an arbitrary label. Annaprashana, the first feeding of solid food, around six months of age, involves the ceremonial offering of the child's first taste of cooked rice, often mixed with honey and ghee, marking with ritual attention a transition that in biological terms happens gradually.
Chudakarana, the first tonsure, involves the ceremonial shaving of an infant's head, understood as removing impurities associated with the womb and as a symbolic offering of the child's hair, sometimes dedicated at a temple. Each rite follows the logic the main entry states about samskara generally, that the rite works on the person as a refinement leaving its own impression, and their concrete detail shows the tradition treating developmental milestones as needing to be actively performed rather than simply lived through.