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
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Recent Examples of breeding
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026
But should that status change, the knowledge and skills gleaned from the Birch breeding and rearing program could prove helpful to other institutions that have the little birds in their care.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
Ecologists at Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) say the video footage provides exciting evidence wombats are breeding in the refuge again.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breeding
Noun
The recent success of wolves in improving their population in California to include four successful breeding pairs triggered the start of a new phase of the plan.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026
But should that status change, the knowledge and skills gleaned from the Birch breeding and rearing program could prove helpful to other institutions that have the little birds in their care.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Using this technique, the government is breeding sterile, non-infected, male flies at a facility in Panama.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
Ecologists at Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) say the video footage provides exciting evidence wombats are breeding in the refuge again.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breeding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breeding
Noun
-
There’s an additional quest element in Elizabeth seeking documents about her family lineage to fight her erasure from the history books.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Hunter-McPhan's lineage makes her Black and Japanese.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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By reproducing photos of Lincoln, Lorant moved beyond the varied mass of subjective artworks — paintings, prints and sculpture — that only approximated his appearance.—
Mark B. Pohlad,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
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Another problem is that neural networks excel at reproducing complicated patterns in their training data, but climate predictions deal with events no one has seen before.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But what was really baffling was Cronin’s claim that the questioner was raising his voice.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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That reality means balancing work, wellness and raising her young son, which has become the foundation for her latest collaboration with Fabletics.—
Casey DelBasso,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When creating the outfits for the first 2001 Bridget Jones cast, Fleming sought to give Jones — whose diary entries detailed her romantic adventures, weight, and alcohol and cigarette consumption — a pragmatic, somewhat disheveled look that would feel relatable to busy women.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The wreath is made with artificial jasmine, lavender, and daisies, as well as other wildflowers, creating a vibrant piece for your front door.—
Jamie Weissman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Following practices for good heart health like eating a nutritious diet, sleeping enough, getting enough consistent exercise and addressing underlying medical conditions that make heart disease more likely are all important.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
16 Feb. 2026
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It’s often described as getting the wind knocked out of you, a knot in the stomach or even trouble sleeping.—
Kyra Dahring,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Organic gardener Sumyati Kashyapi says one common mistake is planting the seeds too densely, and not thinning properly after germination.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
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Use wider spacing when planting as an accent.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
All are of Native American ancestry and are adherents of Native American religious traditions, the lawsuit says.—
Katie Mulvaney,
The Providence Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
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Primus is how my ancestry began.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Humidity Domes with Tupperware Another kitchen item that our experts like to get creative with when propagating tropical houseplants—like monstera varieties and prayer plants—is the humble Tupperware container.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
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The methods for propagating plants from cuttings are simple.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breeding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breeding. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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