as in cultivating
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 domesticating
In a statement published in the Journal of Heredity, Bell suggested that the government should look into the possibility of domesticating manatees.
—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2026
Tens of thousands of years ago, humans began domesticating wild wolves to make hunting, gathering food and protection easier, according to Science News.
—
K'mari Greene,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.
—
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.
—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
24 Mar. 2026
And perhaps no one brand better exemplifies the nation's work than Track Trailer and its Tvan, a little 'drop trailer that's been domesticating the Outback for over a quarter-century.
—
New Atlas,
17 Mar. 2026
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
But where chimps might merely poke over the ashes, our lineage at some point took the next step in promoting and even domesticating the flames — perhaps picking a smoldering stick from the edges of one grassland, and lighting the grassland in the next valley over.
—
Peter Brannen,
Big Think,
28 Aug. 2025
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2026
Tens of thousands of years ago, humans began domesticating wild wolves to make hunting, gathering food and protection easier, according to Science News.
—
K'mari Greene,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.
—
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.
—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
24 Mar. 2026
And perhaps no one brand better exemplifies the nation's work than Track Trailer and its Tvan, a little 'drop trailer that's been domesticating the Outback for over a quarter-century.
—
New Atlas,
17 Mar. 2026
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
But where chimps might merely poke over the ashes, our lineage at some point took the next step in promoting and even domesticating the flames — perhaps picking a smoldering stick from the edges of one grassland, and lighting the grassland in the next valley over.
—
Peter Brannen,
Big Think,
28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domesticating
Verb
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Leaders recognize the value of cultivating resilience from the inside, but building that culture isn’t a one-time initiative.
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Hydrangea expert Mal Condon has been cultivating and studying hydrangeas for over 50 years.
Verb
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One topic that has become increasingly important to me is training.
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Canada’s men’s and women’s national teams infamously used drones to capture footage of opponents training for years until they were caught at the 2024 Olympics.
Verb
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Between June and November, thousands of humpback whales migrate through Brazilian waters, traveling roughly 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from their feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean to breeding and calving grounds off northeastern Brazil.
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Residents can also request a free backyard inspection from the department's Pest Management team to identify areas where mosquitoes may be breeding.
Verb
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In addition to environmental education and advocacy, the center’s mission includes propagating rare and endangered native plants and rehabilitating birds of prey, reptiles and amphibians.
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Ahead, experts share their go-to methods for propagating a lemon tree the right way.
Verb
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In court documents, O’Hara alleged the defendants violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, accusing them of unlawfully restricting free speech and initiating an unlawful seizure while using excessive force.
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This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
Verb
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Are manufacturers producing vehicles that need regular software patches?
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Cape Verde’s Vozinha offered a compelling example, producing an outstanding display against Spain while executing his team’s game plan with composure to help secure a historic progression to the knockout stage.
Verb
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The next day, a team from Chile, utilizing radar and sonar sound-detection equipment, confirmed the presence of Gil, still alive, in the sub-basement.
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The corporate leadership stated that utilizing additive manufacturing allows the organization to reduce the standard timelines required to bring new power generation designs to the commercial marketplace.
Verb
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But a fresh start comes with plenty of new challenges — from rival ranchers and relentless cattle work to the unexpected trials of raising their teenage son, Carter (Finn Little).
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SpaceX went public in June, raising roughly $75 billion in the largest IPO on record.
Cite this Entry
“Domesticating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticating. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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