breeding 1 of 2

noun

ˈbrē-diŋ How to pronounce breeding (audio)
Definition of breedingnext
as in lineage
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended a family of good breeding that is well respected in the community

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breeding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of breed
1
as in reproducing
to bring forth offspring rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated

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2
as in raising
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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3
as in creating
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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4
as in sleeping
to engage in sexual intercourse cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night

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5
as in planting
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 breeding
Noun
His retirement also begins the search for Blue V, who will not be related to Blue IV because the university wants to choose a healthy bulldog based on responsible breeding standards rather than preserving a bloodline for tradition. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 For Quarterway chief executive officer and cotton farmer Todd Straley, the breeding work is less about technological novelty than whether families can continue farming in the region. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Models using those observations predict overall penguin performance – factors such as breeding success and foraging trip duration – to decline when fishing removes a high proportion of the krill available locally. — Kim S. Bernard, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 Most biologists believe that wallows are not essential for breeding rituals, pointing to elk areas where there are few, if any, wallows. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for breeding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breeding
  1. lineage
  2. reproducing
  3. raising
  4. creating
  5. sleeping
  6. planting
  7. ancestry
  8. propagating
Noun
  • But all this manifold spectacle is triggered by a quest for a boy, possibly of royal lineage, who has gone missing.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Basically, this small insect appeared to preserve a transitional stage as its lineage gradually adapted from aquatic life to living on land.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of lineage
Verb
  • To avoid reproducing a rentier economy dependent on transit fees and foreign concessions, the Syrian state must reinvest project revenues in local economies.
    — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For as long as a queen is reproducing at a steady clip, all the other females in her colony will be totally infertile.
    — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of reproducing
Verb
  • Defense attorneys in both cases argued that the defendants’ intent was in question, raising in argument the possibility that their clients were not trying to cause serious bodily injury or death.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Enacting a solution is liable to be a significant political battle, likely involving cutting benefits for some Americans or raising taxes on higher earners, or both.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • Rather than just controlling throttle response, as most of these systems do on electric bikes, Bonnell’s clutch actually ramps phase amps directly, creating a more natural clutch-like feel, the company’s CEO says.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This beautiful shade blends warm, golden tones with darker red lowlights, creating this golden cherry shade.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of creating
Verb
  • Nothing will keep you from sleeping or distract you from studying like itchy bug bites or the constant sneezing and drippy nose of seasonal allergies.
    — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • After sleeping on a bus bench and a few trips to the hospital, Lugo landed at Holliday's Helping Hands, or HHH, a network of interim housing facilities started by nurse practitioner Katina Holliday.
    — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sleeping
Verb
  • Since New England aster will grow relatively tall, Rekola recommends planting it near the back of a perennial border in full sun.
    — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Global diesel demand typically crests around October as the beginning of winter heating season and harvests in the Northern Hemisphere meets planting season in the Southern Hemisphere.
    — Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of planting
Noun
  • According to Census data taken between 2019 and 2023, the number of residents of Italian ancestry in Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront District was down 25 percent over the previous 13 years.
    — Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But Shanes questioned whether grouping Jews under a single ethnic category would produce sufficiently specific data for those purposes, or instead obscure differences among Jewish populations with distinct ancestries.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancestry
Verb
  • Rather than propagating vertically toward the electrodes, the dendrites spread horizontally inside the electrolyte.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Shanahan recommends layering, a method of propagating new plants from a still-living thyme specimen.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of propagating

Phrases Containing breeding

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breeding
breeding ground
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Cite this Entry

“Breeding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breeding. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on breeding

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about breeding

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