as in mothers
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 raises
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 parents
Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
And then there were his parents, sitting in the two most prominent places, front and center.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
My parents, sister and sister’s family all live in the same city in North America, in very close proximity to one another.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Jackie and Shadow, the two viral bald eagles who call Southern California their home, are once again expectant parents.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
In his post, Brooklyn accused his parents of pressuring him to sign away the rights to his family name in the weeks leading up to the wedding.
—Anna Russell, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Kara Alaimo is a professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University and teaches parents, students and teachers how to manage screentime.
—CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Some white parents beat their children with the same whips the apartheid police used in Black neighborhoods.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
Alison Davis has left New Haven and is living with her parents and her dog Willow.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Greg Cote
january 5, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Waukesha School District parents Joe Burke and Sean Shurbet have questioned the district's enrollment data, saying the City of Waukesha's data shows current and projected growth that contradicts district data.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
That seems like an eternity ago to Cane babies born that year and perhaps now parents themselves.
—Greg Cote Miami Herald, Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
Just as Shirley Cabey had rushed into Manhattan upon learning that Darrell had been shot, so too had the other boys’ parents.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
And then there were his parents, sitting in the two most prominent places, front and center.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
My parents, sister and sister’s family all live in the same city in North America, in very close proximity to one another.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Jackie and Shadow, the two viral bald eagles who call Southern California their home, are once again expectant parents.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
In his post, Brooklyn accused his parents of pressuring him to sign away the rights to his family name in the weeks leading up to the wedding.
—Anna Russell, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Kara Alaimo is a professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University and teaches parents, students and teachers how to manage screentime.
—CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Some white parents beat their children with the same whips the apartheid police used in Black neighborhoods.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
Alison Davis has left New Haven and is living with her parents and her dog Willow.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
That seems like an eternity ago to Cane babies born that year and perhaps now parents themselves.
—Greg Cote
january 5, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Waukesha School District parents Joe Burke and Sean Shurbet have questioned the district's enrollment data, saying the City of Waukesha's data shows current and projected growth that contradicts district data.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
That seems like an eternity ago to Cane babies born that year and perhaps now parents themselves.
—Greg Cote Miami Herald, Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parents
Noun
-
In the decades since Koren’s first warnings concerning codeine and breast milk, public-health authorities and patient-advocacy services have issued guidance to new mothers that ranges from scientifically incoherent to potentially dangerous.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Creepy campfire tales of a ghostly demon who causes still-births for unsuspecting mothers the world over doesn’t help her own peace of mind.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The strikes come as Kaiser raises costs for patients and health providers across California brace for tighter margins following cuts to federal health spending.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Exercises like dead bugs, pike push-ups, leg raises and leg raise reaches are worth adding into the rotation.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Family demographics are rapidly changing in the United States, with more women becoming moms later in life and becoming single moms by choice.—
Akilah Siti Easter,
Parents,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Minneapolis cineplexes, at least, will be thronged as Hotdish Brigade moms seek relief from clouds of pepper spray.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Speak gently and firmly, because safety nurtures real closeness.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
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Its formula also included a blend of healing, hydrating ingredients, like Kalahari Melon seed oil that nurtures dry, brittle hair, and Tahitian gardenia flower extract that strengthens.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Her father — struggling with poverty and the grief over his wife's death — wants to shoot it, but Jessica secretly nurses the animal back to health, bringing her closer to her father in the process.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The developers emphasized that the project is part of a broader effort to provide students with high-quality housing that fosters academic success, personal growth, and community engagement, while also contributing to the vitality of the West End neighborhood.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Backed by research, this approach fosters psychological safety and can lead to higher productivity by prioritizing substance and emotional intelligence.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parents. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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