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
Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
Police said both parents were aware of the drug use in the home where the infant was living, which ultimately led to the baby's near-fatal fentanyl overdose.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Without those breaks to relax, parents can't bring their full focus and energy to parenting.
—Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for parent
Noun
Her parents signed her up for vocal lessons and the church choir, and her mother bought her Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera concert DVDs.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
Police said both parents were aware of the drug use in the home where the infant was living, which ultimately led to the baby's near-fatal fentanyl overdose.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
At the same time, my husband and I have always tried to parent as a team, and keeping something like this from him feels dishonest.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Without those breaks to relax, parents can't bring their full focus and energy to parenting.
—Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for parent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parent
Noun
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Kordia had come to the US first on a tourist visa and then transitioned to a student visa, studying English while working as a waitress and at a clothing store and helping care for her US citizen mother and brother, her attorneys said.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
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According to Alexina Santos, a Florida nurse and mother of three, Etta-Tawo’s budding social media channel has already made a meaningful impact on her family.—
Hunter Boyce,
AJC.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite his status as a longtime Democratic donor, Ellison’s acquisition of The Free Press and his installation of founder Bari Weiss atop CBS News also raised alarm from Democrats, who have criticized some of her editorial decisions as biased against the left.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Mahan, who recently entered the race and is supported by Silicon Valley leaders, has quickly raised millions of dollars, as have two independent expenditures committees backing his bid.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Shop more of my mom’s favorites on Amazon and refresh your staples ahead of spring.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
8 Mar. 2026
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New graduates who could readily relocate, get roommates, or move back in with mom and dad can get away with a smaller emergency fund.—
Christine Benz,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Protect domestic rhythms to nurture your soul.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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As nurturing and life-giving as breastfeeding is, its long-term impact on breasts tends to get a bad rap.—
Jennifer Byrne,
Popular Science,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since inception, Sloomoo’s co-founders have also been committed to fostering connections between their staff and visitors by hiring and sustaining a neurodiverse workforce.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
3 Mar. 2026
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Its interventions, generally presented as seeking to protect Shiites’ interests, often drew criticism of undermining countries’ sovereignty and fostering instability.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parent. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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