as in types
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
as in reproduces
to bring forth offspring
rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in fosters
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 causes
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 sleeps
to engage in sexual intercourse
cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in plants
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 breeds
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 21 Jan. 2026
This is often the case for puppies and energetic small breeds.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Other breeds among the gifted dogs that participated in the study were a German shepherd, a Labrador retriever, a miniature Australian shepherd, a Blue Heeler and Australian Shepherd mix.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
And the government’s insistence that Iranians must make sacrifices for distant causes breeds resentment rather than unity.
—Kamran Talattof, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
In contrast, a breakdown in communication breeds mistrust, which could give rise to harmful mistakes, such as an escalatory spiral from overestimating the threat posed by the other side, or a reckless deployment of AI in conflicts.
—Boris Babic, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
Here's what to know about each of the new breeds – with pictures, of course.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
While many terrier breeds are known for being independent-minded, her Teddy competes in obedience.
—Jennifer Peltz, Twin Cities, 30 Dec. 2025
The dogs range in age from 1 to 10 years and are of various breeds, including Chihuahuas, Boston terriers, Lhasa Apsos, Yorkies, and terrier mixes.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Synergy breeds consistency on a basketball court.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
It’s long been said that familiarity breeds contempt.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
The California least tern is a white-and-black bird less than 10 inches long that breeds only in a few areas along the bays and lagoons of California and Mexico and is in danger of extinction because of coastal development.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
The Upside Down is not a mirror dimension, but actually a wormhole/bridge to a separate dystopian world, The Abyss, which breeds all the Demogorgons and Demodogs.
—Carrie Wittmer, Glamour, 29 Dec. 2025
But everything else about Kelli breeds skepticism.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Dog breeds that can't handle the cold, such as chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers and Italian greyhounds, shouldn't spend longer than 10 to 15 minutes in temperatures between 10 and 32 degrees, Wooten writes.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Dec. 2025
Everyone working here wears many hats, in part because scarcity breeds necessity, but also to maintain a standard of hospitality expected for this price point.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2025
Noun
The organization lacks jurisdiction over quarter horses, such as Js on Fire, or other racing breeds, which are instead regulated by state commissions that operate under reciprocal enforcement agreements but do not uniformly adopt testing thresholds or methods.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 21 Jan. 2026
This is often the case for puppies and energetic small breeds.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Other breeds among the gifted dogs that participated in the study were a German shepherd, a Labrador retriever, a miniature Australian shepherd, a Blue Heeler and Australian Shepherd mix.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
And the government’s insistence that Iranians must make sacrifices for distant causes breeds resentment rather than unity.
—Kamran Talattof, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
In contrast, a breakdown in communication breeds mistrust, which could give rise to harmful mistakes, such as an escalatory spiral from overestimating the threat posed by the other side, or a reckless deployment of AI in conflicts.
—Boris Babic, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
Here's what to know about each of the new breeds – with pictures, of course.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
While many terrier breeds are known for being independent-minded, her Teddy competes in obedience.
—Jennifer Peltz, Twin Cities, 30 Dec. 2025
The dogs range in age from 1 to 10 years and are of various breeds, including Chihuahuas, Boston terriers, Lhasa Apsos, Yorkies, and terrier mixes.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Verb
Increasingly, companies are looking at how to make curiosity, which breeds innovation, part of their culture.
—Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Synergy breeds consistency on a basketball court.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
It’s long been said that familiarity breeds contempt.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
The California least tern is a white-and-black bird less than 10 inches long that breeds only in a few areas along the bays and lagoons of California and Mexico and is in danger of extinction because of coastal development.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
The Upside Down is not a mirror dimension, but actually a wormhole/bridge to a separate dystopian world, The Abyss, which breeds all the Demogorgons and Demodogs.
—Carrie Wittmer, Glamour, 29 Dec. 2025
But everything else about Kelli breeds skepticism.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Dog breeds that can't handle the cold, such as chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers and Italian greyhounds, shouldn't spend longer than 10 to 15 minutes in temperatures between 10 and 32 degrees, Wooten writes.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Dec. 2025
Everyone working here wears many hats, in part because scarcity breeds necessity, but also to maintain a standard of hospitality expected for this price point.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breeds
Noun
-
Aside from including two types of hyaluronic acid, Japanese miru seaweed, volcanic marine ferment, and snow mushrooms, all of which boast anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
-
For both order types, groceries will be bagged and customers will be charged a small fee for the bags used.—
Emery Glover,
Des Moines Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One ecosystem reproduces itself through procedure; the other through attention.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
EagleMania not just reproduces the music of the famous rock band with their five-part harmony and guitar work but captures their distinct sound.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The developers emphasized that the project is part of a broader effort to provide students with high-quality housing that fosters academic success, personal growth, and community engagement, while also contributing to the vitality of the West End neighborhood.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Backed by research, this approach fosters psychological safety and can lead to higher productivity by prioritizing substance and emotional intelligence.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Duesberg kept making his argument well after evidence that the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, causes AIDS became incontestable.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
According to Tuff, what causes leaders to miss these paradigm shifts is not ignorance but hesitation.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And because this part of the city never sleeps, there’s always someone who is willing to offer directions.—
Sophie Morgan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This is especially key for anyone who sleeps without a flat sheet.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ma crawls toward you and plants her palms on your cheeks.—
Molly Aitken,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Agriculture officials also warn that anyone who plants the seeds may inadvertently introducing invasive plants, pests or diseases that carry a serious biosecurity risk.—
Jeremy Tanner,
The Hill,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Materials of all kinds, including handwritten and typewritten pages and microfilm, are kept in neat rows of archival boxes, some stacked six shelves high.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Curved Settees Curved settees of all kinds were fixtures of living rooms of decades past.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Separate Offshoots The aloe plant propagates itself by growing offshoots, known as pups.—
Sheryl Geerts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The nature of the American political system propagates scads of lawyers and poseurs who blather on endlessly, promising everything and delivering little.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breeds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breeds. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
