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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Recent Examples of parents
Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
The space includes table football, board and video games, and staff can arrange certain special activities of which the parents of the youngsters involved might be more than a little jealous, among them sushi masterclasses with Mitsuru Tsukada, the boss of Izumi.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Chicago cannot compete for families, businesses, investment and long-term growth if parents lose confidence in their neighborhood schools or educators feel unsupported in their classrooms.
—Susana A. Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Veterans, unhoused individuals, young adults transitioning from foster care and parents of minor children age 14 and older no longer are exempt from work requirements, even though many struggle with mental illness.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
Commission Chair Laura Blackwell Lindsey referenced parents who spoke and voiced support for students who opposed sharing bathrooms with transgender classmates.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
Those shortages affect schools, parents, and local communities nationwide.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Another Course to College valedictorian Anaya Woods, who plans to become a writer, credited her parents and teachers for getting her here.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
Her Jewish parents fled the Austrian capital the year after she was born, fearing the rise of the Nazi regime, and re-established themselves in Worcestershire, England.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 May 2026
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Fellow plaintiff parents Brandy Roberts and Joann Bogard also snagged seats and joined Rodriguez in the back row of the courtroom to watch Zuckerberg’s testimony.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
Everyone in town knew about my mother but most of my friends and their parents had never met her.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
The space includes table football, board and video games, and staff can arrange certain special activities of which the parents of the youngsters involved might be more than a little jealous, among them sushi masterclasses with Mitsuru Tsukada, the boss of Izumi.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Chicago cannot compete for families, businesses, investment and long-term growth if parents lose confidence in their neighborhood schools or educators feel unsupported in their classrooms.
—Susana A. Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Veterans, unhoused individuals, young adults transitioning from foster care and parents of minor children age 14 and older no longer are exempt from work requirements, even though many struggle with mental illness.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
Commission Chair Laura Blackwell Lindsey referenced parents who spoke and voiced support for students who opposed sharing bathrooms with transgender classmates.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
Those shortages affect schools, parents, and local communities nationwide.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Another Course to College valedictorian Anaya Woods, who plans to become a writer, credited her parents and teachers for getting her here.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
Her Jewish parents fled the Austrian capital the year after she was born, fearing the rise of the Nazi regime, and re-established themselves in Worcestershire, England.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 May 2026
Verb
Looking ahead, the pair plan to relocate to Florida, though Andrew will split his time between the Sunshine State and Baltimore as he co-parents his two daughters.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Fellow plaintiff parents Brandy Roberts and Joann Bogard also snagged seats and joined Rodriguez in the back row of the courtroom to watch Zuckerberg’s testimony.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2026
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
-
Apparently all mothers, even surrogate mothers, were alike, but at least Adele no longer had to fear monitory parables from her real mother.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
When the conversation turns to women's interest in flexible work options, the focus is on working mothers.—
Subha Barry,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
For some, the sudden enforcement raises questions about why the city is acting now and whether there are other ways to address violations without arrests, confiscations and criminal penalties.—
Laura Rodríguez Presa,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
The decision followed two hours of debate and multiple failed motions — including a proposal to lower police raises — as leaders attempted to balance equity concerns with budget constraints.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
On a late Friday afternoon in March, Julia Huckins has brought her 4-year-old son Malcolm into downtown Livermore to treat him to some Meadowlark Dairy soft-serve ice cream, meet up with other moms and let their kids run around in a nearby park.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
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To support the best outcomes for moms and babies, pregnant women must have timely access to quality prenatal care.—
Mary C. Mayhew,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Still, the internet nurtures these Hobbesian, splenetic views.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2026
-
That’s the true greatness of Free Comic Book Day, which now nurtures and expands upon the culture in which it was born.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
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 shift also fosters local partnerships.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
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Not knowing the exact solution and going outside your comfort zone fosters creativity and skills growth.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parents. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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