FERTILIZE Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

fertilize

verb

Definition of fertilize

as in to enrich

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 fertilize Instead, material that used to fertilize farms accumulated in urban streets, rivers and sewers, while rural soils grew steadily poorer with each harvest. — Edward D. Melillo, Fortune, 27 July 2026 Find out why, when, and how to fertilize petunias in containers, as well as the best fertilizers to use and how to adjust for petunias grown in the ground in beds. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026 When to Fertilize a Peace Lily The best time to fertilize a peace lily is during spring and summer when the days are longer, and the plant is receiving more sunlight. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 July 2026 For example, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a specialized form of IVF in which time-lapse images of sperm moving in a petri dish help clinicians select those believed to be most likely to fertilize an egg. — Edna Bonhomme, Scientific American, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fertilize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fertilize

Verb

Her descriptions of the UP’s flora and fauna underpin and enrich scene after scene, with a symbolic (and for Les Becquets, personally significant) bird headlining each section of the book.

— The Know, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026
But, leaving certain dead plant material in place also enriches the soil and creates a habitat for beneficial insects—so there are some exceptions.

— Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of enrich

Verb

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials say Russia is augmenting its arsenal with North Korean ballistic missiles, further raising the threat.

— Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
In September 2022 these were augmented with a steadily rising drumbeat of Shahed drones, first tens, then hundreds, now thousands.

— David Hambling, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of augment

Verb

Min Son Yong, deputy director of the internal medicine department at Pyongyang General Hospital, told North Korea’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday that people should eat dog meat and fish porridge to supplement protein to beat the heat.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Proctor said the Housing Trust Fund is used as gap financing to supplement projects rather than cover total costs of redevelopment.

— Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of supplement

Verb

The decision comes on the heels of a trade deadline in which Pittsburgh, seeking to end a decade-long playoff drought, fortified its leaky bullpen with a series of moves, including acquiring prominent reliever Luke Weaver from the New York Mets.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Identify fortified non-dairy substitutions for milk and yogurt.

— PubSubHub User, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of fortify

Verb

Football introduces more students and families to the university and reinforces that a local, affordable higher education option with Division I athletics exists right on the South Side.

— Monique Carroll, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Over the years, Vizard has watched visitors come to the farm to admire the birds, reinforcing her belief that the farm should continue to be used as an open space.

— Tran Chau, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of reinforce

Verb

This gas will then be purified and concentrated, ready for export to local gas networks as what is termed renewable natural gas (RNG).

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
Normal strategy in disaster situations is boiling water to purify it but this uses valuable fuel resources.

— Simon Heptinstall, New Atlas, 9 July 2026

Definition of purify

Verb

Ultimately, leveraging salary transparency allows for informed decisions, guiding learning and strengthening professional value for future opportunities.

— Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
These same advantages have strengthened Washington’s ability to shape global legal norms.

— Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of strengthen

Verb

Even considering the persistence and peril of anthrax, Stewart reckons that the British government did properly decontaminate the island.

— RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026
The traditional boundaries between work and life dissolved as workers tried to maintain productivity through economic upheaval, all while decontaminating groceries and managing their children’s online classes.

— Tess Lawrence, Harvard Business Review, 1 July 2026

Definition of decontaminate

Browse Nearby Words

fertility

fertilize

fertilized

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fertilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fertilize. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fertilize

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on fertilize

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

salvo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes