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
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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
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Recent Examples of breed
Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
This fluffy breed of Scottish cattle is available for visitors to pet and take photos with, although arguably, their favorite activity is being fed.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Many Stellers in Northern California are believed to breed around the Farallon Islands, roughly 30 miles off the San Francisco coast.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for breed
Noun
What’s known as a mixed American minipig is instead a hybrid, a mix of breeds, that stands about knee-high or 20 inches tall at the shoulder.
—Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
This fluffy breed of Scottish cattle is available for visitors to pet and take photos with, although arguably, their favorite activity is being fed.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Verb
Several female giraffes at the Colorado Springs zoo were recommended for breeding under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ species survival plan, but Khalid — the zoo’s former breeding bull — died in 2025 at 17 years old, Denver officials said.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Many Stellers in Northern California are believed to breed around the Farallon Islands, roughly 30 miles off the San Francisco coast.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for breed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breed
Verb
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And sure, animals such as starfish and flatworms can reproduce by cloning themselves—but at the end of the day, in most species, the survival of animals rests on their mothers.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
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Previous studies investigated several of these features individually, but the new work attempts to reproduce the basin’s shape, crustal asymmetry, and impact direction within a single impact scenario.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
Verb
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That alone, to me, raises questions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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The governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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On the topic, Becerra noted that the state should work with an AI company to ensure that data centers stay in California and operate in a manner that benefits residents rather than causing issues similar to other states.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), staph bacteria are commonly found on the skin or in the noses of many people and often do not cause problems.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Like Cernan on Apollo 17, Aldrin also described seeing flashing lights while trying to sleep.—
Stephen Smith,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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In addition to the main building, where most guests sleep, the original palace also houses several suites filled with antique furniture and plenty of gild trim, which are available to book for a hefty price tag.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The latter activity gives them some solid ground to plant their hooves on when George abruptly turns up dead one morning, poisoned by an unknown suspect.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
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In the years since the first tree was planted in 1990, the young pines and hardwoods grew from 3 feet to 50 feet tall.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Some experts suspect that there may be several volcano archetypes — ones that prefer to throw out lava, for instance, or the especially explosive kind.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 May 2026
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The point of racially conscious practices of any kind shouldn’t be to hit particular numerical targets, but to improve, little by little, the institutions in a wealthy and powerful democracy that has not yet escaped the present effects of a deeply racist past.—
Stephen L. Carter,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Will history books that refuse to propagate the fiction that the 2020 election was stolen be allowed in red-state classrooms?—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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This allows improvements in perception, control, or task execution to propagate across multiple systems, effectively linking product iteration to system-level development.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Asma Uddin is an attorney who serves as a fellow for religious freedom for the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan group dedicated to fostering First Amendment freedoms.—
Maven Navarro,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
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The Rural Intersectionality Fund, created by Sarah Sellman and Julie Mordecai, aims to foster and uplift the voices of neurodiverse, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and creators telling stories from their lived experience.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breed. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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