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.
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Recent Examples of domesticate
At the time, livestock had yet to be domesticated, and camel herds still ran wild.
—
Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
At its Himalayan Botanical Garden, plants such as gentian are domesticated for research and cosmetics applications, reducing destructive wild harvesting while supporting biodiversity.
—Li Jun, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Lonpi Tipi added that domesticating larvae production ultimately would lead to solving problems related to access to protein- and nutrition-rich food.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
The same response occurred in wild and domesticated tomatoes.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
At its Himalayan Botanical Garden, plants such as gentian are domesticated for research and cosmetics applications, reducing destructive wild harvesting while supporting biodiversity.
—Li Jun, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Lonpi Tipi added that domesticating larvae production ultimately would lead to solving problems related to access to protein- and nutrition-rich food.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
The same response occurred in wild and domesticated tomatoes.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domesticate
Verb
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These experiences cultivated a mindset attuned to complexity and dependable systems.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Through gatherings like this one, the Compass is cultivating the spaces and systems that make creativity sustainable.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That brought an invitation to train with Scunthorpe this summer.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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An article published by The Associated Presshours before the launch had warned the world of an impending coup attempt by former soldiers from the Venezuelan military, trained by associates of former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau and his company, Silvercorp USA.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Plants with tender vines are some of the easiest plants to propagate, and that’s certainly true of the sweet potato vine.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Nov. 2025
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Start with a potted plant from the store or propagate a plant from a cutting.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Guests can order the complimentary coffee in-bakery, through the mobile app, or online using code FREECOFFEE.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
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Israel currently allows the death penalty only in exceptional cases, including for crimes such as treason and war crimes committed under the Nazi regime, but it has not been used for decades.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Skaggs’ attorneys utilized last week’s testimony to establish how a team doctor’s opiate prescriptions exacerbated Eric Kay’s addiction, and how, according to multiple former employees, that addiction became evident throughout the organization.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
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The agent utilizes natural language interactions across TIME's entire digital content corpus to drive reader engagement.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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The batteries are also expected to be smaller, lighter, and cheaper to produce than existing lithium-ion packs.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Look for species tulips that will naturalize and possibly spread over time, or Darwin hybrid tulips that are bred specifically to return year after year.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Nov. 2025
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Many dogs are also bred for exaggerated features—such as flat faces or long spines—that cause lifelong pain.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Air travelers came and went mostly without trouble at Denver International Airport on Friday, expressing gratitude for federal air traffic controllers working without pay, ready to adapt as flight reductions ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration kicked in.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
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An ever-adapting fusion of flesh and technology, the Borg are a hostile force that seeks not just to eradicate humanity, but to enslave it, forcibly eradicating the sense of self and folding its victims into a homogenous hive mind.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticate. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.
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