as in lineage
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
a family of good breeding that is well respected in the community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in reproducing
to bring forth offspring
rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in raising
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 creating
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
as in sleeping
to engage in sexual intercourse
cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in planting
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.
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Recent Examples of breeding
Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
The popular Penguin Coast exhibit opened in 2015, supporting one of the largest penguin breeding programs in North America.
—Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Scythia’s plants are its animals, and vice versa, blooming and breeding in alternate generations.
—Stephanie Burt, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breeding
Noun
But Bao Li and Qing Bao have not reached breeding age yet.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
The popular Penguin Coast exhibit opened in 2015, supporting one of the largest penguin breeding programs in North America.
—Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
Hop River Shepherds has been breeding Dutch and German Shepherds for over 25 years, with dozens of dogs successfully placed in sport, protection, service and active pet homes, according to Scott Beebe, owner and founder of the dog kennel.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Scythia’s plants are its animals, and vice versa, blooming and breeding in alternate generations.
—Stephanie Burt, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breeding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breeding
Noun
-
Although the lineage may be different, just about every single other aspect of Margaret Atwood’s original Daisy and Agnes remains.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, the Arabic language brought people together through an unbroken lineage.—
Doris Bittar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As guests left, we were handed boxes of produce used in the lunch served, including parsnips for reproducing blogger Christina Conte’s unique savory parsnip scones.—
Judy Bart Kancigor,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Despite religious and phenotypic differences, people around the western Mediterranean Sea have been interacting, trading, warring, migrating, and reproducing together for centuries.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps the easiest way to start an argument online is to post a video of a mother raising her child.—
Micah Barkley,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Political parties were disincentivized from forming coalitions—which might have unified the anti-Orbán vote—by incrementally raising the threshold required for alliances to enter Parliament.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
SacRT says the idea could boost ridership and help meet regional goals to reduce driving by creating more housing near public transit.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
And then the spirit, again, creating that belief.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Not being at the age of viability, and because of the trauma of contractions and delivery on her small body, she was born sleeping.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In 2023, she was named a Fulbright Scholar, which enabled her to spend a year in Korea, sleeping, eating, recreating, working and, along the way, turning her abstract memories of living there into something more concrete and direct (and sometimes overwhelming).—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If planting more than one dragon fruit, space them at least 6 feet apart.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The kids were taking part in learning about birds, their environments, and planting trees that will help the birds have food and shelter.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Their Tibetan ancestry dates back thousands of years to when they were bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries.—
Katelyn Chef,
Martha Stewart,
12 Apr. 2026
-
After all, many of us, including those of European ancestry, are a type of invasive species.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Here are two simple methods for propagating ZZ plants.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breeding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breeding. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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