bred

past tense of breed
1
as in propagated
to bring forth offspring rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
4
as in slept
to engage in sexual intercourse cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bred Sometimes a young cow may not be bred during the rut, but will come back in heat later in the year. Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026 There are several types of dogs that were originally bred for work, making these breeds excellent hiking partners. Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026 Heifers are bred from between 12 to 15 months of age, and calves have a gestation period just under a year before staying up to 10 months with their mothers. Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026 Losing has bred frustration and, with it, the soundtrack of the Angels’ summer consists of frustrated jeers and urges for Moreno to be out. Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Over centuries, hundreds of thousands of varieties and cultivars have been bred from them, making the plant family one of the largest in the world. ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 The fledglings of the bird, which is native to New Zealand, were bred this year. Adela Suliman, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026 While some varieties can grow quite tall, newer varieties have been bred for a smaller size and are perfect for containers, says Montgomery. Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026 Nashville-bred alternative favorites Bully will headline the DIY-minded event. John D. Luerssen, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bred
Verb
  • Peperomia Many types of peperomia can be propagated from stem or leaf cuttings, including varieties like the watermelon peperomia, string of turtles, and baby rubber plant.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Stone was the consummate anti-Boomer Boomer, his best work existing in opposition to the official stories propagated by a top-down media infoscape.
    Darren Franich, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • From that restaurant Cardoso could look out the window and see sloping hills and Lucas’ Wagyu cows raised there on the farm.
    Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Neighbors cite traffic risks in the area Neighbors said ongoing construction in the area had created a dangerous traffic pattern and raised concerns about children walking to and from school.
    Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The delay again has created a potential cash crunch for districts during the wait for their cut — often a main revenue source for local governments — and added to the pile of complaints about the county’s decade-long property tax system upgrade.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Bees take advantage of vegetation and openings in forest canopies created by disturbances such as disease, storms, wind, beavers and fire.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • There were museums and theaters, and clubs, and the feeling that the city never slept.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • On a recent morning in the city center, Spanish police were kicking out young boys who had slept overnight on cardboard slabs, some of them bruised and bandaged.
    Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Cole dug rainwater swales, installed a woodstove, and planted vegetables.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Dutch womenswear label, Róhe, has planted its flag at 77 Mercer street.
    Madeline Fass, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • While the details were wrong, de Aguiar Alves was impressed that the episode reproduced the core textbook idea mostly accurately.
    Matt von Hippel, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Our model not only reproduced how bacteria behaved under different nutrient environments, but also revealed where their memory likely resides.
    Shiladitya Banerjee, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Projects are fostered by Guild members, who then weigh in at various stages of a project’s life cycle, reading scripts and viewing test screenings.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Deutsch has reportedly fostered more than 200 children over the years.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In other cases, Virginia prosecutors have previously brought their own expert witnesses to counter an insanity defense at trials or even disputed the claims without their own expert, according to reports and court records.
    Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service (Alpert JFS) brought MHFA to Palm Beach County in 2014 and has since trained thousands of community members (at no cost) to be that first line of support.
    Courtney Marx, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Bred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bred. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster