Examples of inbreed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Imagine a study in which subjects are chronically cold, sleep-deprived, inbred, and held captive in cramped conditions.
—
Sonia Shah, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2023
When the population of a species dwindles, the remaining animals are forced to inbreed and the genetic pool shrinks, further threatening survival.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 31 Mar. 2022
Southern white rhinos are threatened by inbreeding.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2020
Soon, almost everyone in that population may become related to the newcomers, actually speeding up inbreeding.
—Ashley Braun, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2019
Self-fertilization, like inbreeding in animals, should pair up harmful recessive mutations, so Schwoch expected the crosses that used pollen from one stem on flowers from another to do better.
—Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 29 Aug. 2019
Many scientists believe mating types evolved early in life’s history as a barrier against behaviors like inbreeding that might be harmful to a population or species.
—Quanta Magazine, 17 July 2018
And as their faces got smaller, our ancestors became more social; groups of Neanderthals and other ancient humans seem to have inbred frequently, but among modern humans, there was much more contact between different groups.
—Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 10 Apr. 2018
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Sonia Shah, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2023
When the population of a species dwindles, the remaining animals are forced to inbreed and the genetic pool shrinks, further threatening survival.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 31 Mar. 2022
Southern white rhinos are threatened by inbreeding.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2020
Soon, almost everyone in that population may become related to the newcomers, actually speeding up inbreeding.
—Ashley Braun, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2019
Self-fertilization, like inbreeding in animals, should pair up harmful recessive mutations, so Schwoch expected the crosses that used pollen from one stem on flowers from another to do better.
—Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 29 Aug. 2019
Many scientists believe mating types evolved early in life’s history as a barrier against behaviors like inbreeding that might be harmful to a population or species.
—Quanta Magazine, 17 July 2018
And as their faces got smaller, our ancestors became more social; groups of Neanderthals and other ancient humans seem to have inbred frequently, but among modern humans, there was much more contact between different groups.
—Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 10 Apr. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Inbreed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inbreed. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
inbreed
verb
in·breed
ˈin-ˈbrēd 
inbred
-ˈbred
; inbreeding
; inbreeding
: to subject to inbreeding
: to engage in inbreeding
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