beget

be·get | \ bi-ˈget

How to pronounce beget (audio)

, bē- \

begot\ bi-ˈgät

How to pronounce begot (audio)

, bē- \ also begat\ bi-ˈgat

How to pronounce begat (audio)

, bē- \; begotten\ bi-ˈgä-tᵊn

How to pronounce begotten (audio)

, bē- \ or begot; begetting

Definition of beget

transitive verb

1 : to procreate as the father : sire He died without begetting an heir.

2 : to produce especially as an effect or outgrowth Violence only begets more violence.

Other Words from beget Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about beget

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Examples of beget in a Sentence

He died without begetting an heir. one change in the natural environment will beget others

Recent Examples on the Web The Thanksgiving episode of NBC’s time-tinkering family drama gifted viewers with unease and dread, a bit of family warmth-’n’-togetherness, plus another Flash-Forward Mystery Tease™ that begat bundles of new questions. — Dan Snierson, EW.com, "This Is Us producer breaks down Rebecca's fate and those flash-forward shockers," 20 Nov. 2019 Yet one injury begat the next, players dropping one after another, and the roster becoming a mere shell. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State expectations: What history says Mark Dantonio can do," 23 Aug. 2019 Perhaps the best way to survive this season of discontent is to remember that the '70s begat the '80s, which led to the '90s, which led to the 2000s. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit sports are terrible. But one day, it will make winning that much sweeter," 6 Dec. 2019 First, new all-time highs tend to cluster as strong performance often begets more strong performance in the markets. — Ben Carlson, Fortune, "The Stock Market Has Hit 19 New Highs in 2019 Alone. Why?," 14 Nov. 2019 That precise language—to bear or beget—led directly to Roe ten months later. — Myra Macpherson, The New Republic, "The Forgotten Father of the Abortion Rights Movement," 7 Oct. 2019 One film fest begets others Van Goethem quickly points out that this passion project only became possible through a lot of generosity. — Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "Night Has Come is remarkable work of genuine found-footage horror," 9 Nov. 2019 That impulse begot the thought that perhaps the one worthy of worship was other than Kanye West. — John Hirschauer, National Review, "Kanye West’s Reactionary Turn Isn’t Just an Act," 4 Nov. 2019 Maximal outcomes like Trump’s move to defang federal regulation of methane emissions ultimately beget maximal responses. — Liam Denning | Bloomberg, Washington Post, "Democrat Town Halls Show the Climate’s Changed Already," 5 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beget.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near beget

beg, borrow, or/and steal

be/get carried away

be/get in someone's face

Statistics for beget

Last Updated

13 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Beget.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beget. Accessed 18 Feb. 2020.

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