parents 1 of 2

noun

plural of parent
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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parents

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of parent
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of parents
Noun
So far, 28 teens have committed juvenile offenses, with seven parents being issued citations, according to the 2026 Midyear Public Safety Report. — Zaire Breedlove, Charlotte Observer, 15 July 2026 Detractors said permanent daylight saving time would lead to darker and potentially more hazardous winter mornings where children will be waiting for school buses and parents will be driving to work in darkness. — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 15 July 2026 After migrating from Seoul to Montana as a young child, Suea first fell in love with fashion as a teenager growing up in New Jersey, begging her parents to take her to the mall to visit the Abercrombie & Fitch store after church on Sundays. — Violet Conroy, Vogue, 15 July 2026 When my kids were doing this, sometimes, other parents would ask if their kids could join in. — Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 15 July 2026 Judy Davis stars as Sybylla, a rebellious young woman in 19th century Australia who longs to be a writer, but her traditionalist parents refuse to indulge those dreams, sending her to board with her wealthy grandmother instead. — ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026 Archie and Lilibet’s parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, were also at the closed-door meeting at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire—Charles’s country home—on July 10. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 15 July 2026 After his parents divorced, Gavin Newsom was unofficially adopted by Gordon Getty, essentially returning the favor that the Newsom family had given him three decades earlier. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 July 2026 As his parents struggle to establish a fragile peace with their disgruntled neighbors, young Miles takes an interest in the story of the Wendigo, a voracious shapeshifter from Native American mythology. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
Verb
The influence on how each generation parents their children is striking as well. — Sari Hitchins, Parents, 11 June 2026 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
  1. mothers
  2. raises
  3. moms
  4. nurtures
  5. nurses
  6. fosters
Noun
  • Two mothers caring for their disabled sons now face losing their homes.
    — Tara Bannow, STAT, 13 July 2026
  • There are other mothers who lost a son and who may be afraid to come forward.
    — Peter D'Oench, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of mothers
Verb
  • Analysts said the persistence of such underlying weakness also raises the question of whether Chinese officials will turn to more fiscal stimulus to try and boost domestic spending.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Diaz's go-to no-gear routine is one minute of squats, one minute of high knees, and one minute of calf raises.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of raises
Noun
  • The additional sleep provided by the bassinet also is believed to reduce burnout and postpartum depression in working moms and dads.
    — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • Everyone—blue-collar moms, college students, CEOs—suffers from the distractions of carrying around the pinging, blinking pocket-size casinos that our phones have become.
    — Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of moms
Verb
  • An influential alcohol industry, which nurtures deep ties to lawmakers, charitable groups, and consumers, has kept a tight grip on regulation — at the expense of public health.
    — Isabella Cueto, STAT, 14 July 2026
  • The advent of artificial intelligence is giving a new shine to a liberal arts education, which career experts say nurtures the skills valued by employers as AI increasingly changes the workplace.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Definition of nurtures
Verb
  • After Robin is gravely injured, he is taken in by the sage prioress Brigid (Jodie Comer), who nurses him back to health at an island convent.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of nurses
Verb
  • Emotional intelligence and leadership humility help executives to lead with integrity and accountability, which fosters a culture of respect and continuous improvement.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • This sentiment fosters your wanderlust vibes to explore and travel.
    — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 16 July 2026
Definition of fosters

Browse Nearby Words

parenting
parents
pares
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Cite this Entry

“Parents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parents. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of parents for Spanish Speakers

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