Synonyms of mating

mating 1 of 2

noun

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

• sex
• intercourse
• relations
• copulation
• breeding
• coitus
• coupling
• sexuality
• making love
• copulating
• coition
• lovemaking
• sex act
• commerce
• sexual intercourse
• sexual relations
• getting it on
• fornication
• congress
• insemination
• safe sex
• carnality
• dalliance
• hanky-panky
• whoopee

mating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mate

as in sleeping

to engage in sexual intercourse

cats conceive almost every time they mate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sleeping
• breeding
• doing it
• copulating
• having sex
• fornicating
• fooling around

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mating

Noun

Sellew is a bold new voice, using sharp, stylish prose to explore the hinterland of contemporary mating. —Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026

One preference the females seem to have is fine sand – this is also the first to degrade in the circle, meaning the male won't reuse his masterpiece but build from scratch when another mating event requires it. —New Atlas, 3 Jan. 2026

Exploration cruises On exploration cruises, programming centers on expert presentations relevant to the region, such as shark mating rituals in Oceania and glacial melt in Antarctica. —Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 25 Dec. 2025

The beetles can then fly out of the trap and spread the spores through mating. —Cole Premo, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025

Species that kiss tend to have mating systems in which females mate with multiple males, the researchers report in the new study, which was published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025

Instead, the authors think the males may have mounted the females , who were lying on their sides, and pressed down on the females’ tails during mating, accidentally breaking the neural spines. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025

Nashville Zoo has unlocked a successful mating rate by keeping cubs together at a young age, going from 20% to 40% to a 95% success rate as part of its effort to protect animal species. —Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 2025

To combat the spread of the flies, the USDA disperses sterile flies into the area to stop the mating, a scientific method known as sterile insect technique (SIT). —Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025

Verb

In the animal kingdom, mammals play dead so that a predator will lose interest in them; some female dragonflies do it to avoid mating. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025

These close evolutionary neighbors sometimes share DNA, including potentially beneficial mutations, by mating across the species lines defined by humans’ classification systems. —David Toews, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025

Adults emerge from the pupae and begin feeding, mating and laying eggs. —Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025

Fall is mating season for elk in places like Rocky Mountain National Park and Yellowstone, and approaching too closely can put both humans and animals at risk. —AFAR Media, 23 Oct. 2025

Male ratfish have a structure called a tenaculum, which is essentially a retractable rod tipped with a chandelier of teeth that springs out of their forehead to grip females during mating. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 8 Oct. 2025

Fruit flies drown themselves in booze when deprived of mating opportunities. —Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025

The video shows two male sharks mating with a female in quick succession, according to Storyful. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025

The disease spreads in koala populations through reproduction and social behavior connected to mating. —Amy Woodyatt, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025