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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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
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In 2025, Mycoworks shuttered its South Carolina biomanufacturing plant, announcing a pivot to processing cheaper third-party mycelium instead of cultivating it themselves, and Natural Fiber Welding narrowly escaped bankruptcy, adding to the sense of an ending.—
Bella Webb,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The same year, Sony Music Group, which has represented Adele, BeyoncĂ©, and other artists, warned hundreds of AI companies not to train models on its content without permission.—
Sebastian Herrera,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
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Now the Smelts swim in two Chicago area pools, and almost 40 swimmers are training for the Gay Games in Valencia, Spain.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Tabbed nothing less than the golden generation, they were meant to grow a sport that long had roots but never could quite blossom, using the soil of their own country to do it.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Northrop Grumman said the new chip fully utilizes this portion of the radio spectrum to improve signal performance while reducing the need for larger and more power-intensive equipment.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
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Another unique feature at the PHL hub is that all of the transatlantic flights utilize the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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In the 1970s, what was then West Germany co-produced the Tornado bomber with the UK and Italy; then in the 1990s Germany worked with the UK, Italy and Spain to produce the dog-fighting Eurofighter jet.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Moss is also executive producing under her Love & Squalor Pictures banner in addition to starring.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Verb
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But with sites outside Panama shut down for years, the USDA didn't think sterile flies were being bred fast enough.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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The government fights the fly by breeding sterile male flies, which then mate with wild females that only mate once in their monthslong life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The following was excerpted and adapted from a commencement speech given at Bard College on May 23.—
Fareed Zakaria,
Washington Post,
7 June 2026
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As a result, the team that wins the World Cup may not be the most talented squad, but rather the one that best adapts to the tournament’s array off physical and logistical demands.—
Emile Nuh,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticate. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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