incubating

verb

present participle of incubate
1
as in sitting
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 promoting
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 incubating Molecular clouds can also be stellar nurseries, incubating new stars and planets in their depths. — Damien Pine, Scientific American, 13 July 2026 This has been a consistent problem for a long time now, years in fact, where among a long list of incubating projects, nothing has come to pass outside of Marathon, despite all the money spent to dig up ideas. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Believing a rock to be an egg, Roy and Silo took turns incubating it. — Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2026 Female bald eagles typically lay two eggs, with both parents incubating and protecting the eggs for about 35 days. — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 19 June 2026 Matt was incubating and backing businesses like Resy, betting that New York’s density and culture were features, not bugs. — Patrick Chun, Fortune, 26 May 2026 Portman also has two new projects incubating. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2026 Additionally, the coalition is incubating new chapters soon to be launched in Rwanda, Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026 Females lay one to three eggs, and both parents take turns incubating them for about six weeks. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incubating
  1. sitting
  2. promoting
  3. spawning
  4. cultivating
  5. laying
  6. encouraging
  7. hatching
  8. fostering
Verb
  • Take turns with your husband sitting with the baby in the safe space, or even hire a (healthy) sitter to stay in the room with your son.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Nolan’s The Odyssey is close to crossing the $1 billion mark in the global box office, sitting at $911 million after three weekends.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sitting
Verb
  • It is commonly used in sports medicine, regenerative medicine and wellness settings with the goal of promoting the healing of tendons, ligaments, muscles and other soft tissues.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • As in 1926, some concrete plans will be unveiled during the summit, including the creation of an international NGO dedicated to protecting and promoting independent cinema worldwide, Variety has learned.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of promoting
Verb
  • Fish in his regular local lake were spawning in their thousands, providing plenty of action.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • And just as mobile phone use evolved in Africa in different ways from other parts of the world, spawning earlier and more prolific adoption of digital payments, AI use and deployment will differ.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of spawning
Verb
  • Modi has been one of India’s most dominant prime ministers in decades, winning elections while cultivating an image of decisive leadership.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Individuals can develop similar habits by reading broadly, cultivating diverse professional networks, experimenting with emerging technologies and deliberately seeking viewpoints that challenge their own thinking.
    — David Henkin, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of cultivating
Verb
  • That one feature has taken Volkwine’s crew more than five months of moving dirt, laying rebar and concrete and hand-shaping every line in the smooth surface that untold numbers of skaters and bikers will use starting this fall.
    — Noah Daly July 31, Idaho Statesman, 31 July 2026
  • Jon asks, suggesting a name and/or laying the groundwork for his priest father to come and bless the child.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 July 2026
Definition of laying
Verb
  • The consul general is encouraging all Haitians, including Haitian Americans, to obtain a valid Haitian passport.
    — Tania Francois, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Singapore’s healthcare system combines public subsidies with compulsory medical savings and co-payments, encouraging people to take greater responsibility for their own healthcare spending, while still keeping things affordable.
    — Runchana Pongsaparn, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of encouraging
Verb
  • Consistently hand-picking eggs and squash bugs is the best way to interrupt the squash bug life cycle and prevent new eggs from hatching.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 20 July 2026
  • After hatching, the baby, which is the size of a jellybean, remains in the pouch for about two months.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of hatching
Verb
  • The Willow Springs initiative seeks to establish Goodwood as a reliable, annual car event in Southern California, fostering a similar blend of old-world charm and modern passion.
    — Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Creating art with food and fostering community with a something-for-everyone vibe sets Madison Social Charcuterie apart, according to owners Emily Begnaud and Alli Kisner.
    — Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of fostering

Browse Nearby Words

incubates
incubating
incubation
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Cite this Entry

“Incubating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incubating. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on incubating

Nglish: Translation of incubating for Spanish Speakers

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