as in mother
a person who brings forth and raises a child
The couple recently became parents for the first time. She grew up in a single parent household.
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as in to raise
to bring forth and raise to maturity through care and education
They expertly parent their second child using all the lessons learned from raising their first.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of parent
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Risks on the road are often not on the radar of students or parents in the planning process.
—Tanya Mohn, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
And then, of course, there’s the influence of intensive-parenting culture, which typically demands that parents spend more on and do more for their kids.
—Meagan Francis, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parent
Noun
The series premiere ends, however, on a much softer note, as Robbie and Cliff run into the young Sam, the couple's son who was sleeping in the basement while his parents were murdered upstairs.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Risks on the road are often not on the radar of students or parents in the planning process.
—Tanya Mohn, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
By Nicholas Pantaleoni Across Rwanda’s border towns and busy markets, many mothers must balance the demands of owning a business with parenting young children.
—Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
And then, of course, there’s the influence of intensive-parenting culture, which typically demands that parents spend more on and do more for their kids.
—Meagan Francis, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parent
Noun
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The documentary shows the real-time body camera footage of the encounter between Isabella County Sheriff Mike Main and Kendra Licari, including the reveal to Lauryn that her mother was behind the messages.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Luke Newtown, of Bridgerton fame, will take on the role of McQueen opposite Catherine LaFrere as Isabella Blow (who is the subject of her own upcoming biopic, by the way) and Emily Skinner as Lee’s mother, Joyce McQueen.—
Vogue Runway,
Vogue,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The deal, brokered after a standoff between state and county officials resulting from a disagreement over whether to raise assessments this year, means homeowners will see a nearly 7% increase above their 2024 property valuation.—
Madeline King,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
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The Bundy family said information about the object removed from Ryan Bundy’s arm could raise more questions in the incident.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Her mom was registered in a kennel, but father apparently not (that's most likely the reason).—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Then, her mom's arthritis flared up.—
Bailey Schulz,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These practices nurture a feeling of safety and defiance, Stewart argues.—
Danielle Amir Jackson,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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Workman, Chief Scientist and co-founder of the venture, helped coin the name Electric Goddess, honoring both the feminine energy of nurturing and the technical masculine drive of making.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fortune mirrored Jones' sentiment and said showing youths different options is important to foster their success.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The fact that supporters of democracy promotion aimed to foster the emergence of democracy through strengthening non-state actors, rather than through aid to foreign governments, fitted with Reagan’s own small-government preferences.—
Time,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parent. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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