as in to cultivate
to change (a wild animal or plant) over time to make it more suited to life with or use by humans
Humans domesticated wolves to produce man's best friend.
Related Words
Relevance
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 domesticate
Rabbits were first domesticated so monks could eat their fetuses.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Were dogs the first animals domesticated by humans?
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Appreciative of these qualities, humans have domesticated Cucumis sativus and traded it throughout the world, with the fruit’s coolness becoming another, if metaphorical, tendril.
—Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026
The lives of the creatures, domesticated and not, are recounted in the narrator’s report that is the novel.
—Literary Hub, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Were dogs the first animals domesticated by humans?
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Appreciative of these qualities, humans have domesticated Cucumis sativus and traded it throughout the world, with the fruit’s coolness becoming another, if metaphorical, tendril.
—Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026
The lives of the creatures, domesticated and not, are recounted in the narrator’s report that is the novel.
—Literary Hub, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domesticate
Verb
-
Picking a pineapple in Upcountry In the 1960s, Hawaii produced 80 percent of the world’s pineapple—the fruit was synonymous with the state—and on the slopes of Haleakala, Maui Gold Pineapple was queen, cultivating 10,000 acres of the sweetest fruit around.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
14 May 2026
-
Today, Fingerboard cultivates hemp, a type of cannabis that, unlike marijuana, is nonintoxicating and widely considered a wellness product.—
William Deffaa,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
All raised together, all trained together by Terminus himself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
These schools may very well be training their own replacements.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Guests can rent courtesy bikes or use trail maps to explore local running routes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
Both use Virtue, a product line of serums, shampoos, and hair masks that prioritize strengthening the hair while promoting growth, hydration, and an overall healthy scalp (the key to it all).—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Even in 2026, some footwear makers are utilizing outdated methods and measurements while working with limited insight into the actual foot shapes and dimensions of their target customers.—
Amina Ayoud,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
-
The restaurant utilized all its space, including its banquet hall, which opened out to the street, as well as streetside outdoor table and its charming courtyard.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Nectar is a sweet, syrupy liquid produced in the blossoms, stems and leaves of many plants.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has produced numbers not seen at this stage of the postseason in roughly 50 years.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
The game’s newest major champion represents a refreshing and unchanging sense of self, bred by memories like those back in Wolverhampton, England.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
The sow will breed again and return to the gestation crate to bear another litter.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Just as diurnal ants follow the relatively steady movement of the sun, the bull ant species has adapted to the orbiting moon’s constant changes, according to research published in .—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
17 May 2026
-
This approach preserves the visual identity of the original compact robot while adapting it to a far more demanding mechanical scale.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticate. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
