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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of domesticate
Campania, in southeastern Italy, had grape seeds that were more domesticated and found in the Grotta di Pertosa caves.
—
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2025
What’s clear is that once domesticated, cats spread quickly — likely aided by Roman expansion — and now enjoy global popularity, with nearly a billion living among us.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
While some frogs call the great outdoors on six continents (excluding Antarctica) home, others are domesticated, kept as pets.
—Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
Tragically, these giant tortoises were almost all wiped out by humans (who ate them) along with their pests, particularly black and brown rats and domesticated goats (which competed for scarce food and destroyed the fragile habitat).
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2025
What’s clear is that once domesticated, cats spread quickly — likely aided by Roman expansion — and now enjoy global popularity, with nearly a billion living among us.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
While some frogs call the great outdoors on six continents (excluding Antarctica) home, others are domesticated, kept as pets.
—Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
Tragically, these giant tortoises were almost all wiped out by humans (who ate them) along with their pests, particularly black and brown rats and domesticated goats (which competed for scarce food and destroyed the fragile habitat).
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domesticate
Verb
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Figgins hopes to create a space where training to be a dancer is safe and nurturing but also requires discipline and rigor necessary to cultivate students’ talents.—
Jeryl Brunner,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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On June 25, for instance, there will be a new moon in Cancer, which is all about emotional new beginnings and a time to cultivate and nurture what reminds us of home.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Universities can train students who blend domain knowledge with technical skills.—
Erik Otárola-Castillo,
Time,
7 June 2025
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Before the campaign ever launched, Coca-Cola had already begun training internal teams, building literacy in generative AI tools, and partnering with experts.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Asking a co-worker a question over lunch or during informal discussions after a meeting can help propagate knowledge.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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These ideas propagate because the internet provides bad actors with a platform to distribute them.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
28 May 2025
Verb
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On Wednesday, police in Seattle used pepper spray to clear out protesters, and officers in Denver used smoke and pepper balls to control a crowd.—
Krysta Fauria,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2025
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Shein may be using a partnership to bring goods made in India to its global consumers.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
12 June 2025
Verb
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This is another area in which the general manager is attempting to utilize restraint.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
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Command Center also utilizes predictive analytics to help hospitals plan for the future.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Verb
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An assessment would be produced over the next 90 days with a report to the City Council within 120 days.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
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The Love That Remains is produced by Anton Máni Svansson of Iceland’s Still Vivid and Katrin Pors of Denmark’s Snowglobe.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Verb
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As a result, the only people left standing are the many clones who were bred on the Citadel to serve a multitude of purposes — from backup bodies to restaurant chain mascots.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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For instance, salt-marsh mosquitoes in coastal areas can breed in the billions per acre and fly long distances.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
Verb
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In the decades since, PEOPLE has grown to become the iconic brand it is known as today — expanding from a newsstand-only publication to now include digital news coverage and social media coverage, as well as a new app, among other ventures.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
8 June 2025
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In addition, administrative staff positions at most universities and colleges has grown faster than faculty.—
Paul Weinstein Jr,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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