BREED Synonyms: 210 Similar and Opposite Words

breed 1 of 2

noun

Definition of breed

as in type

a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common some people say that honest politicians are a rare breed

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Relevance

breed

2 of 2

verb

ˈbrēd

as in to reproduce

to bring forth offspring rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated

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as in to raise

to bring to maturity through care and education he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to cause

to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind) this habit of favoring one employee over the others will breed resentment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to sleep

to engage in sexual intercourse cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night

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as in to plant

to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set parents who breed in their children a deep respect for people of all classes

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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 breed

Noun

But in Zelensky’s office on Tuesday, an American sports hero was handing him an American dog breed. — Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 Just in time for National Dog Day, Rover analyzed millions of dog breeds submitted by pet owners nationwide to find both popular breeds and fastest-rising favorites. — Liz Gray, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Verb

Since mosquitos breed in standing water, Harrison advises residents to check their properties for it. — Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is betting that Avalo can breed them faster—and help get them into fields. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for breed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breed

Noun

The ruling, the first of its kind under Hong Kong’s Societies Ordinance, has raised alarms over freedom of association as authorities continue tightening controls after the 2019 democracy protests.

— Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
The ground application was the first of its kind in Texas firefighting history, officials said.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of kind

Verb

There are so many, because Venice has an atmosphere that is difficult to reproduce anywhere else.

— Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Myers said these teacup animals usually come about through reproductive technology and selective breeding, where people repeatedly breed the smallest animals, then use the smallest offspring to reproduce.

— Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of reproduce

Verb

The college apologized for concerns raised by the comments, and later Monday, EMCC announced Rice’s promotion.

— Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
The mere possibility of losing its critical space assets in a surprise attack could push the United States to use its forces early or to delegate launch authority in ways that raise the risk of an accident, to avoid the devastating consequences.

— Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of raise

Verb

One day, Cole paged through an album whose acidic glues caused her particular anguish.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
The rocks and melted water then swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream in Tibet and Nepal.

— Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of cause

Verb

The island, just over 2 miles long, was created in the late 1960s from sand dredged during the deepening of the Elbe shipping channel that serves the port of Hamburg, then left to itself and gradually planted over.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
Standing at two hours and 30 minutes, along with a 15-minute intermission, the narrative plants you in the middle of a world of ironies.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of plant

Noun

This is a genre film with a very intriguing world at its core, and Raja has brought a distinctive vision to it.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
His career has also included collaborations with artists across hip-hop and other genres, including Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne and Jelly Roll.

— J.M. Banks, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of genre

Verb

Autumn joy stonecrop propagates readily indoors or outdoors, both from stem cuttings and from leaf cuttings placed on the soil surface.

— Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
Rather than propagating vertically toward the electrodes, the dendrites spread horizontally inside the electrolyte.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026