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

Relevance

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
Hurley's mother, Christine, was among them and in true Hurley family fashion let a few expletives fly after the last-second win. Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 The mother was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of a weapon in a weapons-free school zone. Paula Wethington, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
The two pandas were born in 2021 at the Ueno Zoo, to mother Shin Shin and father Ri Ri. Chris Lau, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026 During the foster season, officials move captive pups into existing litters where they can be mothered by wild wolves. Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother
Noun
  • His father, much older than his mom, was a preacher who wanted his son to follow in his footsteps.
    Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Cheri, meanwhile, watched the Summit make history with her mom to her right and a USA soccer hat dangling from the seat in front of her.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The middle of three kids, Reilly’s love of the game was passed down through a special bond with his maternal grandfather.
    Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
  • The data revealed that women who’d taken a GLP-1 had lower odds of negative maternal outcomes compared with the women taking other diabetes medications.
    Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Kings never had the defensive activity to disrupt them much.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Political experts have also pointed out that Proposition 50 passed with a wide margin, with 64% of of voters approving the measure, so the investigation wouldn't have any impact on the results.
    Laurie Perez, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Vientos manned first base Thursday with Jorge Polanco still nursing a sore Achilles tendon.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Wiseman was married to nurse Carroll Taylor, who died of cancer in 2020.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and donors in South Florida’s Jewish and Muslim communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza and the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.
    Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Back-to-back one-out doubles from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya produced the Cubs’ lone run in the third.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The other standout was the breakfast basket that gets delivered like clockwork to your room each morning, including fresh pastries, muesli, fruit, yogurt, eggs, coffee, and juice.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Jaime, who had on a yellow reflective vest and a helmet, held up his phone near his supervisor’s and, courtesy of the FarEye app, instantly received the coördinates for the packages—a total of forty-five—he’d be delivering.
    Henry Alford, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • From the beginning, Rolling Stone had a fitful relationship with the counterculture that birthed it, Richardson reports.
    James Sullivan, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Moreover, the trim little contraption cut a wholesome figure reminiscent of a Richard Scarry book—as if a courtesy tram birthed a tiny Zamboni.
    Henry Alford, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on mother

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster