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
While domesticated pigs were sustainable, low-maintenance food sources, TPWD notes the pigs were left behind as explorers moved across the continent, thus leading to those pigs becoming feral.
—
Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Hedgehogs, while not a common pet, can be domesticated and are known for their cute appearance, quiet nature and small space requirements.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Although no continent on Earth is now untouched by the diverse and delicious seed and food crops developed in the Americas, the brilliance of the native peoples who domesticated these nourishing plants over millennia has largely been overlooked by history.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Researchers currently believe dogs were first domesticated from grey wolves toward the end of the last Ice Age, and were the first animals to enter into a domestic relationship with humans, the study states.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Hedgehogs, while not a common pet, can be domesticated and are known for their cute appearance, quiet nature and small space requirements.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Although no continent on Earth is now untouched by the diverse and delicious seed and food crops developed in the Americas, the brilliance of the native peoples who domesticated these nourishing plants over millennia has largely been overlooked by history.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Researchers currently believe dogs were first domesticated from grey wolves toward the end of the last Ice Age, and were the first animals to enter into a domestic relationship with humans, the study states.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domesticate
Verb
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Business owners still need to make difficult decisions, cultivate relationships with employees and customers, and create accountability inside their organizations.—
Scott Byrne,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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In his regular visits to Nuuk, Horn has spent much of his time cultivating relationships with business leaders and politicians like Pele Broberg, leader of the pro-independence Naleraq party, who has made no secret of their meetings.—
Joshua Hunt,
Vanity Fair,
17 June 2026
Verb
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That’s because Millar had trained for this, at the behest of Marsch himself.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Users can train the system through teleoperation, teaching it how to pick up various household objects.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Ahead, experts share their go-to methods for propagating a lemon tree the right way.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
15 June 2026
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Errors, once embedded in data and processing, can propagate rapidly across thousands of decisions and become very hard to discover and remove effectively.—
Troy Holaday,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The targeting led the Russians to use an alternative route, according to the Ukrainian military, with a large number of trucks carrying military supplies sent further west.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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Officers conducted a search on foot and using a drone, but were unable to locate the animal.—
Evelyn Ronan,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
Verb
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This new lottery system will be utilized for a three-year experimental span and will expire after the 2029 draft, with the board of governors then allowed to vote to continue the system or transition to a new one.—
Anthony Chiang
June 19,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
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That physical play is something the Patriots can utilize, as well as Brown’s route-running prowess that has led to four straight seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Under the island’s current economic model, the government largely determines what is produced, who produces it, the prices at which goods are sold and how the country’s resources are allocated.—
Andrea Rodríguez,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The claim that remote work breeds social isolation is a myth for some; instead, VI believe protects women from an exhausting, artificial stress tax.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 June 2026
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Approved for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration in 2020, the pigs are bred as part of an experimental effort to harvest animal organs for transplantation into humans.—
Matthew Perrone,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
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The needs of religious consumers were changing, and church leaders scrambled to adapt.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticate. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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