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bred-in-the-bone

adjective

ˈbre-dᵊn-t͟hə-ˌbōn How to pronounce bred-in-the-bone (audio)
Definition of bred-in-the-bonenext
1
as in chronic
being such by habit and not likely to change a bred-in-the-bone Democrat who always votes a straight ticket

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deep
firmly established over time bred-in-the-bone honesty earned him the nickname of "Honest Abe"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bred-in-the-bone
  1. chronic
  2. deep
  3. inherent
  4. confirmed
  5. rooted
  6. settled
Adjective
  • All our main hospitals are overcrowded and have chronic issues with staffing shortages.
    — David Cox, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The homes — often single-family residences converted into ALFs — are paid to house people with chronic and severe mental illness.
    — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of chronic
Adjective
  • Like other Vionic shoes, these have a deep heel cup to stabilize the foot and ankle.
    — Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Such abandonment wounds are deep and destabilizing; the younger the child, the deeper the wound and the harder to form a sense of self and of value as an adult.
    — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • Eventually, all charges were dropped days before trial, with Perry scolding prosecutors for violating the inherent trust placed in the office.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
  • That creates an inherent tension with norms around privacy and personal space.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of inherent
Adjective
  • Harford County residents on alert The confirmed case inside an elementary school has some Harford County residents concerned about the presence of wildlife in the community.
    — Ashley Paul, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The Ebola outbreak centered in the eastern Ituri province is the fastest-growing in the disease’s history and remains out of control with 5,713 confirmed cases, including 2,744 deaths, according to Congolese health authorities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of confirmed
Adjective
  • The menu remained rooted in the dishes Saucedo’s mother cooked for them at home; flavors that, Saucedo said, cannot be learned, only passed down through generations in northern Mexico.
    — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • While the Dirty Knobs’ songs vary in style, reflecting the great diversity of top 40 music when Campbell was growing up in the 1960s, the band overall has a more dense, blues-rooted feel.
    — Thom Duffy, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of rooted
Adjective
  • United never looked settled defending corners or set pieces, which further encouraged the home fans to get behind their team.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Jacobs launched Marc by Marc Jacobs in 2001, cementing his eventual status as a fashion mogul — and, at moments throughout his career, as a kind of enfant terrible who, as it’s shown in this documentary, has cooled down a bit, more settled and reflective in his late career.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of settled
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bred
bred-in-the-bone
breech
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Cite this Entry

“Bred-in-the-bone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bred-in-the-bone. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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