as in sex
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis
if the mare doesn't get pregnant from this mating, you don't have to pay for the second try
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in sleeping
to engage in sexual intercourse
cats conceive almost every time they mate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of mating
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Both food and mating motivate humpback journeys in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 June 2026
The park is a stop on the Indiana Birding Trail, offering chances to see a diverse array of species at different stages of migration, mating and raising their young.
—
Usa Today Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Unsual mating rituals are emerging in modern times.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Male bowerbirds are notorious for their complex mating rituals.
—
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Researchers from the University of Hawaii have also found that Olowalu in particular is a mating hub for tiger sharks, according to Hawaii News Now.
—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
The onset of mating season this spring has escalated tensions, with the males’ loud early morning mating calls particularly aggravating residents.
—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
And Jack Brand, an aquatic ecologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, wanted to know how illicit drugs like cocaine might change fish behavior, like foraging and mating.
—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
12 May 2026
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
By mating with sterile flies, the females don't produce more flies and outbreaks can eventually be halted.
—
ABC News,
8 June 2026
By mating with sterile flies, the females don’t produce more flies and outbreaks can eventually be halted.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Darkness is essential to fireflies for mating and increasing their population.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
The mass release of dud studs elbows out fertile males, preventing them from mating with females, which generally only mate once.
—
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Early summer is mating season for alligators.
—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2026
For the first time in 200 years, red-and-green macaws are mating in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, according to BBC Wildlife.
—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
The males will sometimes pursue the females for up to one week before mating even occurs.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
In any number of species—elephant seals, red deer, rattlesnakes—the privilege of mating is settled by a fight.
—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Both food and mating motivate humpback journeys in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 June 2026
The park is a stop on the Indiana Birding Trail, offering chances to see a diverse array of species at different stages of migration, mating and raising their young.
—
Usa Today Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Unsual mating rituals are emerging in modern times.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Male bowerbirds are notorious for their complex mating rituals.
—
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Researchers from the University of Hawaii have also found that Olowalu in particular is a mating hub for tiger sharks, according to Hawaii News Now.
—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
The onset of mating season this spring has escalated tensions, with the males’ loud early morning mating calls particularly aggravating residents.
—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
And Jack Brand, an aquatic ecologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, wanted to know how illicit drugs like cocaine might change fish behavior, like foraging and mating.
—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
12 May 2026
Verb
The New World screwworm's larvae eat live flesh and fluids instead of dead material, with females laying their eggs in open wounds and mucous membranes after mating only once in their monthslong lives.
—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
By mating with sterile flies, the females don't produce more flies and outbreaks can eventually be halted.
—
ABC News,
8 June 2026
By mating with sterile flies, the females don’t produce more flies and outbreaks can eventually be halted.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Darkness is essential to fireflies for mating and increasing their population.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
The mass release of dud studs elbows out fertile males, preventing them from mating with females, which generally only mate once.
—
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Early summer is mating season for alligators.
—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2026
For the first time in 200 years, red-and-green macaws are mating in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, according to BBC Wildlife.
—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
The males will sometimes pursue the females for up to one week before mating even occurs.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mating
Noun
-
The findings, from 1,592 U.S. citizens of different ages, sexes, races and incomes, were collected between Dec. 20 and Dec. 22.
-
On his first day in office, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that declared the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female.
Verb
-
Bed bugs typically stay within a few feet of their food source, which is usually sleeping people or pets.
-
There are some other features to keep in mind when considering a sleeping pad, air mattress or camping cot.
Noun
-
The two counts of rape Høiby was convicted of did not involve intercourse.
-
However, soy isoflavones didn’t appear to provide significant overall benefits for painful intercourse, hot flashes, night sweats, and psychological symptoms.
Verb
-
The islands, which sit about 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometers) southwest of mainland Australia have long been an isolated sanctuary for breeding birds and marine mammals.
-
There were also breeding facilities in the state.
Noun
-
Marcos, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, led leaders of the 11-nation bloc in commemorating the 35th anniversary of ASEAN's diplomatic relations with Russia.
-
Marcos, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, led leaders of the 11-nation bloc in commemorating the 35th anniversary of ASEAN’s diplomatic relations with Russia.
Cite this Entry
“Mating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mating. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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