mother 1 of 3

Definition of mothernext
as in mom
a female human parent he dreaded telling his mother that her favorite figurine had gotten broken

Synonyms & Similar Words

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mother

2 of 3

adjective

as in maternal
of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother she often offered to babysit for friends, hoping to satisfy her mother urges until she had children of her own

Synonyms & Similar Words

mother

3 of 3

verb

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 mother
Noun
Both grooms wrote their own vows, but one of the ceremony’s most memorable roles belonged to Zuckerman’s 90-year-old grandmother, who served as their flower girl and walked alongside both of their mothers. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Within days, midwives, mothers, community leaders and politicians held a rally at the YWCA in downtown Troy. Noam Levey, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
Perhaps pasta or pizza with cheese is so comforting because we’re literally being mothered by flowering plants and bovines? Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 One way to combat that, as a gardener, is to start plants by seed instead of buying plants that someone else has started, watered and mothered for months. Henry Homeyer, The Providence Journal, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother
Noun
  • The aforementioned Jennifer contributed meatballs, their mom helmed the antipasti station, Raf’s supplied the tiramisù.
    Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors tried to convict Massachusetts mom Lindsay Clancy of first-degree murder and send her to prison for life for strangling her three young children.
    Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Widespread attention on the trial turned a national spotlight on maternal mental health.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The trial has generated intense interest for more than a month, deeply dividing the public and drawing attention to issues around maternal mental health after childbirth.
    Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The confusion could muddy the narrative of having the best models in the market that OpenAI would no doubt like to present ahead of a possible 2027 IPO.
    Emily Forlini, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Its rich, satisfying lather has a light citrus scent to make wash days feel just a little more elevated.
    Madison San Miguel, Allure, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Scott had similarly worked with Flynn and Colman before, as well as Billie Piper, who’s magnetic as the famed casting director Patsy Pollack, who nursed Charleson in his last days.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • By the end of the round, Hrgović was nursing a cut above his right eyebrow — a worrying sign for a man whose June 2024 fight against Daniel Dubois was stopped because of cuts above both his eyebrows.
    Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This rainfall is likely to produce flash flooding, especially in low-lying and urban areas.
    Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • What we’re left with is a system for producing conflict, a machine for generating chaos.
    Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Western philanthropists, on the other hand, are surrounded by mature civil-society groups, and so are more content to just deliver funding through grants.
    Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026
  • They are managed by Francesco Farioli, an up-and-coming young Italian coach who has instilled an attractive style of play and delivered their first Portuguese league title since 2022.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • That rejection turned out to be a blessing, birthing dozens of outside sources Gibney turned to instead, on- and off-camera.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For women in the vulnerable position of leaving work to birth and care for a newborn, the possibility of losing their job during that time can feel like an ever-looming threat.
    Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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