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
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Maas gave what amounts to one of the clearest explanations she’s offered on the mating bond system.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
The annual hummingbird migration brings the birds from the south up to their mating grounds in the north.
—Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 27 Feb. 2026
The eagles were bonding and mating — all positive signs — but nothing was guaranteed.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
This year, with a bumper crop of the strange parrot’s favorite berries prompting a rare enthusiasm for mating, those working to save the birds hope for a record number of chicks in February, which would move the kakapo closer to defying what was not long ago believed to be certain extinction.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
There’s a courtship, then a mating, and then the pair raise their offspring.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
What's normal mating behavior for coyotes, however, can look ominous to humans, especially those who own cats or small dogs.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Feb. 2026
As the world outside begins to resemble the full-moon mating frenzy of the opalescent squid, crack open Sylvia Townsend Warner’s 1948 novel about nuns eking out an existence in a 14th-century convent and one night of celibacy might not seem so bad.
—Air Mail, 14 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
His team found an association between a symbol that looks like the letter Y and the time at which the animals depicted on the object gave birth, as well as a link between an X and the time of year the animals were seen mating.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
February is mating season for the four-legged canines, which can lead to sightings in even the most urban parts of Central Indiana.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Feb. 2026
By the Middle Ages, people in France and England believed birds began mating around that time of year, reinforcing the connection to romance.
—Katey Psencik, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Frequent mate switching combined with low reproductive ‘skew’ and possibly the active avoidance of mating with close relatives, may be effective strategies to maintaining the genetic health of relatively small populations.
—New Atlas, 25 Jan. 2026
Jackie and Shadow’s prior mating seasons have been marked by cycles of celebration and heartbreak.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Hamsters are territorial, and females frequently kick the male out after mating.
—Noel Kirkpatrick, Treehugger, 20 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
After mating, females lay groups of eggs in the soil near plants.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Maas gave what amounts to one of the clearest explanations she’s offered on the mating bond system.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
The annual hummingbird migration brings the birds from the south up to their mating grounds in the north.
—Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 27 Feb. 2026
The eagles were bonding and mating — all positive signs — but nothing was guaranteed.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
This year, with a bumper crop of the strange parrot’s favorite berries prompting a rare enthusiasm for mating, those working to save the birds hope for a record number of chicks in February, which would move the kakapo closer to defying what was not long ago believed to be certain extinction.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
There’s a courtship, then a mating, and then the pair raise their offspring.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
What's normal mating behavior for coyotes, however, can look ominous to humans, especially those who own cats or small dogs.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Feb. 2026
As the world outside begins to resemble the full-moon mating frenzy of the opalescent squid, crack open Sylvia Townsend Warner’s 1948 novel about nuns eking out an existence in a 14th-century convent and one night of celibacy might not seem so bad.
—Air Mail, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
The most likely explanation for this mirror image pattern is mating behavior.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
His team found an association between a symbol that looks like the letter Y and the time at which the animals depicted on the object gave birth, as well as a link between an X and the time of year the animals were seen mating.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
February is mating season for the four-legged canines, which can lead to sightings in even the most urban parts of Central Indiana.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Feb. 2026
By the Middle Ages, people in France and England believed birds began mating around that time of year, reinforcing the connection to romance.
—Katey Psencik, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Frequent mate switching combined with low reproductive ‘skew’ and possibly the active avoidance of mating with close relatives, may be effective strategies to maintaining the genetic health of relatively small populations.
—New Atlas, 25 Jan. 2026
Jackie and Shadow’s prior mating seasons have been marked by cycles of celebration and heartbreak.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Hamsters are territorial, and females frequently kick the male out after mating.
—Noel Kirkpatrick, Treehugger, 20 Jan. 2026
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
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.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
28 Dec. 2025
-
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.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Some common behaviors to look out for include sleep changes, like getting very little sleep, or alternatively sleeping or hibernating more than usual, says Guilbault.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
-
An analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine indicated that sleeping for less than seven hours a night increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and depression.—
Veronica Cristino,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The bigger concern usually isn’t intercourse.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Some speculation has existed about whether the basic physiological processes necessary for intercourse, particularly for men, might be compromised by microgravity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At some colonies in Argentina, 97% of pups died, while on South Georgia Island, researchers reported a 47% decline in breeding females between 2022 and 2024.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Sprinkle Mosquito Bits granules into the water that collects in the center of the leafy rosette to prevent Aedes mosquitoes from breeding there.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Chinese relations with the Islamic Republic accelerated in 2021 with the signing of their 25-year Cooperation Program, which escalated the level of economic and defense cooperation between the countries.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
-
For many riders, the views of the changing landscapes are the highlight, says Jason Abrams, senior pubic relations manager at Amtrak.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mating. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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