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
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
-
Insider tip Yunnan and Kunming are known for their flowers, both wild and cultivated, so the hotel’s floral arrangements and garden landscapes are particularly beautiful.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
Today’s grapefruit are less bitter than the ones your grandparents ate, having had the naringin—the compound that creates bitterness—largely cultivated out of them.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
That’s because Millar had trained for this, at the behest of Marsch himself.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Still, firefighters said having trained medical personnel on standby provides peace of mind.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The garden maintains detailed records for individual plants, contributes climate-change monitoring data, shares plant material with researchers and propagates threatened species as a safeguard against extinction.—
Kalpana Mohan,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using your low-beam headlights since this means your taillights will also be on.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Dec. 2025
-
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Indiana editor.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The plan would also establish collaboration with the city and utilize city support through public improvements funding, known as PIAC, which is broadly geared toward neighborhood needs in each City Council district.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
11 Dec. 2025
-
To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The One Battle After Another actress said the return of brothers Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans, who will write and produce the horror parody, has made all the difference.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Pilot projects have already produced notable results, Navy officials said.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Some breed in running or standing water, while others breed in muddy or swampy locations.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
As Wall Street races to incorporate war into its risk scenarios, the same people modeling natural catastrophes are now adapting their methodology to help investors, banks and insurers predict military conflicts.—
Gautam Naik,
Fortune,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
