as in type
a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common
some people say that honest politicians are a rare breed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
2
as in to raise
to bring to maturity through care and education
he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to cause
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
this habit of favoring one employee over the others will breed resentment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in to plant
to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set
parents who breed in their children a deep respect for people of all classes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 breed
Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Starting a new life in Tennessee So Clifton bought some land and started a small farm, of course, with her trusty dog Meeko, a white and black mixed breed.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
Dogs are often bred repeatedly in poor conditions, left sick or injured, and treated as products instead of living beings.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breed
Noun
In total, the Ventana Wildlife Society — a group that traps, breeds and rehabilitates the vultures for release into the wild — has tracked 30 different condors that took multiple trips to parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties sometime in the past two years.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Starting a new life in Tennessee So Clifton bought some land and started a small farm, of course, with her trusty dog Meeko, a white and black mixed breed.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
The story follows a recovering alcoholic who travels to a remote horse breeding farm to make amends with his high school sweetheart as part of his twelve-step program.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
Dogs are often bred repeatedly in poor conditions, left sick or injured, and treated as products instead of living beings.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breed
Verb
-
In an exchange reproduced on screen, a fan asked Stause about her rift with Hernan.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The nonstick surface that develops over years of use is invaluable, and not easy to reproduce.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Someone who is unable to work in mainstream punditry because his face no longer fits, but is determined to raise standards among those who do as an outside agitator.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Yet Tapestry—the parent company of Coach—said Gen Z now accounts for roughly 35% of its new customers, helping the brand beat Wall Street expectations and raise its full-year forecast.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
China’s apparent surge in missile production comes as the US expends sophisticated defense systems in Ukraine and Israel, causing some ammunition shortages and sparking debate in Washington about how and where to deploy its high-end weapons.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
These storms can cause intermittent satellite navigation issues and high-frequency radio disruptions, as well as voltage corrections in power systems, particularly at high latitudes.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With no rooster to sing in a new day, Marialice begins a journey in endless night to find the sleeping sun, accompanied by tiny chick Little.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Jessie didn’t sleep that night.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Roughly three weeks later, Irving planted on a Kings player’s foot and had to be carried off the floor with structural damage in his left knee.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Plant at the Right Time Most trees and shrubs acclimate best when planted in either spring or fall.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In March 2023, the company launched a pilot production line in South Korea, the first of its kind, and began producing prototype solid-state batteries by the end of the year.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Those small victories brought hope, the kind that makes every extra day feel like a gift.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Plants with tender vines are some of the easiest plants to propagate, and that’s certainly true of the sweet potato vine.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Start with a potted plant from the store or propagate a plant from a cutting.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Empath fosters psychological safety, inclusive dialogue and a culture of empathy.—
Kelly Jones,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Even here, though, the focus of most of Biden’s efforts at fostering economic cooperation was regional, not global.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breed. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share