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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After the war, Mojtaba Khamenei may try to strengthen his own position by cultivating that younger cohort.—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
9 May 2026
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The source argued that while Iran spent decades building and cultivating proxy networks across the Middle East, Western governments largely avoided investing in organized anti-regime infrastructure inside Iran itself.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The goal is to support providers, training them on the best ways to help their patients safely stop taking these medications, if desired.—
Rhitu Chatterjee,
NPR,
7 May 2026
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Wireless vision testing begins After a recovery period of around four weeks, the participant will begin training sessions at The Chicago Lighthouse’s Hilton Center for Prosthetic Research.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Lindell’s lab, funded by MARINER, focused on improving crop yield by selectively breeding kelp with desirable qualities — such as nonreproductive capabilities to prevent interbreeding with wild kelp — so that, down the line, farmers could scale up their kelp production.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
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It will be allowed to continue breeding for its own research purposes.—
Tanya Edwards,
USA Today,
5 May 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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Install it too low, and your knees will be in your face when using the commode.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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But in 2003, it was considered too degraded to be capable of producing a match using methods available at the time.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
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But in 2003, it was considered too degraded to be capable of producing a match using methods available at the time.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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The technology deposits conductive and dielectric inks simultaneously, producing integrated 3D electronic structures with micro-scale precision.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Originally utilizing polling by Gallup to determine award winners in television, film, and music categories based on popular opinion, the show switched to online fan voting in 2005.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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The three resorts enjoyed expansion and growth throughout the 2010s by utilizing low prices, gimmicks and attractions to lure guests.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Since the event’s conception in 2013, more than 60,000 donors have helped hundreds of nonprofit organizations in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties raising more than $117 million, according to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
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Clark’s legal team has also highlighted the role of the lead detective in the case, who was later convicted in an unrelated matter involving perjury and evidence tampering, further raising questions about the original investigation.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domesticating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticating. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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