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
Lawrence Glickman, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
And then both my parents died, and that freed me.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
Save for the small staff cars, the entire interior of the citadel is pedestrianized, and the hotel itself sits on a wide plaza, so parents can breathe easy if older kids step out on their own.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
His parents, Gary and Jenny, already had decided to make the trip to the United States around this time and arrived Monday night.
—Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Some educators and parents say this is a good thing — students shouldn't spend six or more hours a day at school and still have additional schoolwork to complete at home.
—Ariel Gilreath, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
He is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart, his parents, Deanna and Patrick Muldoon Sr, and his sister and brother-in-law, Shana and Ahmet Zappa.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Idaho wants daycares to serve the public, the attorney general’s office wrote, regardless of parents’ medical choices.
—Idaho Statesman, 21 Apr. 2026
One witness told police that Alfred’s son had approached him for help getting his sister out of the pool because his parents weren’t present, according to Alfred’s arrest report.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 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
In column after column, from the late 19th century onward, writers and editors treated questions about the citizenship status of the children of unnaturalized parents as a no-brainer.
—Lawrence Glickman, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
And then both my parents died, and that freed me.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
Save for the small staff cars, the entire interior of the citadel is pedestrianized, and the hotel itself sits on a wide plaza, so parents can breathe easy if older kids step out on their own.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
His parents, Gary and Jenny, already had decided to make the trip to the United States around this time and arrived Monday night.
—Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Some educators and parents say this is a good thing — students shouldn't spend six or more hours a day at school and still have additional schoolwork to complete at home.
—Ariel Gilreath, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
He is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart, his parents, Deanna and Patrick Muldoon Sr, and his sister and brother-in-law, Shana and Ahmet Zappa.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Idaho wants daycares to serve the public, the attorney general’s office wrote, regardless of parents’ medical choices.
—Idaho Statesman, 21 Apr. 2026
One witness told police that Alfred’s son had approached him for help getting his sister out of the pool because his parents weren’t present, according to Alfred’s arrest report.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 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
-
From 1945 to 1971, pregnant mothers who wanted to prevent miscarriages were prescribed the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES).—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Both Capuano and Sarai worked in corporate jobs before launching their own company and saw firsthand how difficult that world could be for mothers.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The comments around cyber risks come as emergence of Anthropic's Mythos is setting up a scramble from the banking industry to gain access and test the technology, as regulators rush to examine the cybersecurity risks the new AI model raises.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Critics say that practice raises prices for buyers and hurts the state’s homeownership rate.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The soft fabric used for both the relaxed short-sleeve, V-neck top, and wide-leg crop pants lends this loungewear option a polished-but-comfy look moms can wear for everything from flights to dinner plans.—
Aashna Gheewalla,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
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Hulu announced Wednesday that a new installment of the series featuring a group of young moms in Orange County, California, will be released this year.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ultimately, leading with love or care in the workplace nurtures a culture of empathy, compassion, and authenticity, driving organizational success and fostering a sense of purpose and fulfillment among team members.—
Rebecca Ahmed,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
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The diary writing nurtures an internal life by giving oxygen to what previously had been ephemeral, easily self-mocked as inappropriate, or troubling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 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
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Research shows that celebrating even small wins releases dopamine in the brains of team members, maintains motivation, and fosters a sense of achievement.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
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Critical thinking fosters being curious about the world, and that is very helpful for motivation and engagement.—
Kara Alaimo,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parents. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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