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
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
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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Transferring household skills and cultivating emotional stability.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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And with the rise of artificial intelligence and other technologies, innovative talent management strategies and state support systems, forward-thinking Maryland manufacturers have a host of new opportunities to solve the age-old challenge of cultivating the next generation of talent.—
Mike Kelleher,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Araujo has been training in Mexico’s facility alone this week even though his place is not assured.—
Carlos Rodriguez,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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The findings appear to undercut recent speculation by online observers who have pored over video of the shootout and saw numerous agents training their weapons on Allen from different angles.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During the Spanish Civil War, when reliable food sources for families and orphanages were scarce, farms in Asturias, Madrid and Valencia raised around 300 breeding female Spanish giant rabbits to help feed those in need.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
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Because if your yard is breeding mosquitoes, those fixes don’t stand a chance.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fascism, then and now, is masterful at propagating and reinforcing its ideas through an aesthetic that captivates a large number of people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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Avoid propagating plants that are actively flowering.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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First, locate the radiant to the left of the waning moon using a handy smartphone stargazing app.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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Paller tried a similar experiment in 2009, this time using sound.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Halliday collaborated with Zwick (The Last Samurai) and Marshall Herskovitz on the screenplay, with Zwick and Herskovitz of the Bedford Falls Company producing alongside Clay Pecorin of Rainmaker Films and FilmNation Entertainment.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
1 May 2026
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The former property managers were not always prompt in producing the records needed for the audit, leaving auditors unable to obtain sufficient evidence to form an opinion on the financial statements.—
R.A. Schuetz,
Houston Chronicle,
1 May 2026
Verb
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California must lead the world by innovating responsibly, which means utilizing AI to modernize broken government systems, like speeding up permit reviews, while investing heavily in statewide digital literacy and retraining programs.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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While there are a number of benefits to utilizing a sauna or a steam room, these tools are not right for everyone.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Walker was also experiencing a mental health issue and was shot after raising a knife.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
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Several early tests failed, raising questions about the program’s future.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domesticating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticating. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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