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
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as in sleeping
to engage in sexual intercourse
cats conceive almost every time they mate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mating
Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
Since these ticks are parthenogenetic, meaning an individual female can lay eggs without mating, essentially cloning herself, male ticks are rare.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Oct. 2025
This pattern, called assortative mating, means that when parents with overlapping genetic risks have children, those risks can combine and accumulate.
—Santhosh Girirajan, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
Females produce a pheromone which attracts clusters of males for mating.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Males of the new species lack vocal sacs, an elastic skin pouch commonly used as amplifying chambers for mating calls, which may be a product of their environment, according to the study.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Female mammals live on average 12 percent longer than males, with mating strategies playing an important role.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025
Oh, and the elk, which are busy sparring and bugling as part of their annual mating ritual.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 26 Sep. 2025
However, no one had seen a mating event — until now.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
James T. Stroud, The Conversation, 13 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
The colony quickly descended into indiscriminate violence, stopped mating, and died out.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2025
Birds of Paradise, for example, have mating rituals so intricate and elaborate that people form clubs just to catch a glimpse of the show.
—Joe Salas
august 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2025
Others suggest that some of them were used in combat or displays that were essential for mating success.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
Since these ticks are parthenogenetic, meaning an individual female can lay eggs without mating, essentially cloning herself, male ticks are rare.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Oct. 2025
This pattern, called assortative mating, means that when parents with overlapping genetic risks have children, those risks can combine and accumulate.
—Santhosh Girirajan, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
Females produce a pheromone which attracts clusters of males for mating.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Males of the new species lack vocal sacs, an elastic skin pouch commonly used as amplifying chambers for mating calls, which may be a product of their environment, according to the study.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Female mammals live on average 12 percent longer than males, with mating strategies playing an important role.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025
Oh, and the elk, which are busy sparring and bugling as part of their annual mating ritual.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 26 Sep. 2025
However, no one had seen a mating event — until now.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
Some were actively reproducing, with females found carrying eggs and males observed successfully mating.
—James T. Stroud, The Conversation, 13 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
The colony quickly descended into indiscriminate violence, stopped mating, and died out.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2025
Birds of Paradise, for example, have mating rituals so intricate and elaborate that people form clubs just to catch a glimpse of the show.
—Joe Salas
august 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2025
Others suggest that some of them were used in combat or displays that were essential for mating success.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mating
Noun
-
The World Ultimate Athletics Championships, which debut next September (as a finals-only global, international competition), are excluding men’s triple jump and women’s hammer throw, as well as shot put and discus for both sexes.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Ironically, stiff upper lips seem to have almost vanished as both sexes burst into tears if anything either lovely or lousy happens to them.—
Jilly Cooper,
Vogue,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Reaffirming the idea in 1990, the AAP reported that American children were spending more time watching television than any other activity, apart from sleeping.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
-
But several had no mat at all, sleeping on the bathroom floor next to feces and urine in a room that housed 10 too many people, a filing alleged.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There are alignments of anemia with some of the early modern symptoms of green sickness—though very few people today are likely to think anemia is caused by a blockage of bodily humors curable by intercourse.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
27 Sep. 2025
-
One 2024 survey found that about 60 percent of college students reported having had vaginal intercourse; a 2022 Pew Research survey reported that more than half of all adults under 30 were in a relationship at the time.—
Molly Langmuir,
The Atlantic,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Morrissey explodes the comparatively respectable conventions of prior Frankenstein adaptations by embracing the deranged erotic and fascist implications of building and breeding new life.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Animals at this time are moving for migration, and they’re distracted by breeding and hunting season.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And Japan needs to balance relations with China, its largest economic partner, too.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
-
With aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relations, my mother and I listened to the prayers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mating. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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