incubated

verb

past tense of incubate
1
as in spawned
to cover and warm eggs as the young inside develop the hen incubated her eggs for two weeks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in cultivated
to help the growth or development of hopefully, these youthful visits to the museum will incubate an enduring love of art

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 incubated Its inaugural six-week lab, held ahead of the festival, incubated six projects, with writers developing a series bible and pilot before pitching their work at the festival to broadcasters, producers and directors. — Essie Assibu, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 After they’re incubated and hatched, the ducklings are raised for about five weeks and released into the wild. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026 The eggs are incubated and hatched there, and the ducklings are raised for about five weeks before being released back into the wild. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 His attempt at an answer is a new platform called PopZao, a website and WeChat mini program that Black Lake has incubated for two years. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 But the contemporary prediction market movement was largely incubated by George Mason University professor Robin Hanson and San Diego businessman Charles Polk beginning in the ’90s. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Others, for certain, are incubated by gridiron versions of cheer moms, who shuffle their sons around in search of stardom. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026 Tempo, the payments-specific chain, was incubated with Paradigm rather than acquired. — Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Google’s self-driving car project graduated from X to become Waymo, and Google Glass was likewise incubated there. — IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incubated
  1. spawned
  2. cultivated
  3. hatched
  4. promoted
  5. sat
  6. encouraged
  7. laid
  8. nurtured
Verb
  • Scant evidence for a next-gen, destination IVF business A fertility treatment framed as a way to rewind the biological clock has spawned an international medical tourism business — with precious little evidence to back it up.
    — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The storm formed over the Bay of Bengal, where the warm waters have spawned some of the deadliest cyclones to hit eastern India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of spawned
Verb
  • The alliance between the president and the rapper has a coherent logic as both have cultivated audiences for whom attacks from outsiders reinforce loyalty.
    — Anna Rahmanan, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Organoid, cluster of cells cultivated within a three-dimensional matrix under laboratory conditions that replicates the structure and function of a specific organ in the human body.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • As a youngster, the Disney Channel was constantly switched on at the family home, Adéla hatched a plan and a timeline.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Once hatched, the larvae feed on living tissue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hatched
Verb
  • Onli joined the Whitney as a curator-at-large in 2023, and she was promoted to the title of Nancy and Fred Poses Curator in 2024.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • It is being organized with Mira Anta, an audiovisual investment fund promoted by Womack’s Mira Entertainment Capital and managed by Anta Asset Management.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of promoted
Verb
  • This fine establishment has sat at the same address in the Williamsburg Bridge's shadow since 1887, and the interiors carry about as many frills as your average public house—dark wood, plaster walls, and so on.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2025
  • The birthday boy and his big sister Sterling Skye, 3, each sat between one of their parents’ laps.
    — Angel Saunders, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of sat
Verb
  • Her aunt, a breast cancer survivor, was the first person who encouraged her to get that initial lump checked.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Management identified improving full-price sales, particularly in North America, as a priority and said it was encouraged by the initial response to recent product launches.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • Authorities at the residence spotted the Chevrolet in the area and laid a spike strip across a roadway in anticipation of a second pursuit, which the vehicle later struck, officials said.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Leo, who took his name from the 19th-century pope whose encyclical on labor laid the foundation of Catholic social teaching, has made the poor and vulnerable a focus of his papacy, carrying on the legacy of his Argentine predecessor, Pope Francis.
    — Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of laid
Verb
  • Putin grew up in the Soviet Union and nurtured his political roots there.
    — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Innovation is nurtured from top to bottom by giving it the same importance as day-to-day operations.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of nurtured

Browse Nearby Words

incubate
incubated
incubates
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Cite this Entry

“Incubated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incubated. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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