CULTIVATE Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

cultivate

verb

ˈkəl-tə-ˌvāt

Definition of cultivate

as in to develop

to come to have gradually cultivated a taste for opera in order to fit in with his new circle of friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to promote

to help the growth or development of cultivated a passion for learning among his students over the years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to grow

to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care in an attempt to produce New World counterparts of the wines that he had enjoyed in Europe, Jefferson cultivated several varieties of grapes at Monticello

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to harvest

to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on we ought to cultivate the field out back

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 cultivate Twelve months ago, 11 license holders were cultivating 72,083 plants, but that number is up to 102 license holders and 486,720 plants. — Aki Nace, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026 Embassies can identify capable partners, connect companies with local ecosystems, explain policy priorities and cultivate the trust required for long-term collaboration. — Shelli Brunswick, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026 The novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch argued that the slow, daily work of cultivating good attachments and trying to see reality clearly is more effective than will power. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 She was suspected to have helped her husband, Jeff Hall, cultivate marijuana. — Curran Rastogi, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cultivate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cultivate

Verb

Scientists see a troubling trend but are still investigating how the disease develops.

— Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
The company is also accelerating deployment of its ArchIQ system, developed with Google, that improves order accuracy with artificial intelligence and automates tasks like inventory management and scheduling.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of develop

Verb

Through rules that promote cross-border data flows, regional commerce, and harmonized cybersecurity standards, DEFA will help ASEAN embrace the modern-day digital economy.

— Jon M. Huntsman, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
If dozens of countries are promoting electric vehicle incentives, charging infrastructure and electrification in general, that can help in the fight against climate change, Jackson added.

— Jennifer McDermott, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of promote

Verb

That garden spawned an annual salsa competition, in which club employees harvest their own ingredients from the planters, make salsa at home, and bring it back to be judged.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
That means a material optimized for sunlight is not necessarily the best choice for harvesting light from LEDs or other indoor sources.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of harvest

Verb

Showing here also presents McGirr with a much more authentic pedestal from which to project his new synthesis of all that acquired McQueen aesthetic lore with his own design identity—because both were forged in London.

— Luke Leitch, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026
The news organizations acquired the documents as part of a yearlong investigation into Florida’s property insurance market.

— Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of acquire

Verb

While the rest of the table is encouraging growth and forgiveness, Meredith is refusing to budge, completely stonewalling this apology and completely willing to die on this hill.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
The dairy farmer agreed with a comment from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins encouraging Americans to seek out other forms of protein, including turkey, amid a rise in the cost of beef.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of encourage

Verb

Chewing the drug produces a euphoric effect because of a psychoactive ingredient called arecoline, and millions of people are still betel users today.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
Edwards produced 89 of them, while Willis added 35 on eight attempts before leaving.

— Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of produce

Verb

If your nails tend to break quickly (which becomes more common as you age), Robin recommends keeping them at a short, manageable length.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 18 Sep. 2026
Poison hemlock tends to thrive in damp ground, whether in sunny or partly shaded locations.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of tend

Browse Nearby Words

cultists

cultivate

cultivated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cultivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cultivate. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cultivate

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tactile

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes