INCUBATE Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

incubate

verb

ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt

Definition of incubate

as in to spawn

to cover and warm eggs as the young inside develop the hen incubated her eggs for two weeks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to promote

to help the growth or development of hopefully, these youthful visits to the museum will incubate an enduring love of art

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 incubate Since the pair formed in 2018, fans have watched them weather freezing winter storms, incubate eggs and dote on fuzzy chicks. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 After incubating another egg into April, the eagles started to leave it unattended. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 Hint ended up coming to life after being incubated at Montauk Capital; it’s raised $10 million, and investors include Slow Ventures, Tusk Venture Partners, and Brian Kelly (aka the Points Guy—a Stewart bestie who joined yesterday). — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 23 July 2026 To detain people who looked perfectly healthy, Ragusa’s councillors had to grasp that a disease might incubate unseen—an intuition that arrived roughly five centuries before germ theory could explain it. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for incubate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for incubate

Verb

Always negotiating between interior life and attention, Yayoi Kusama had a late fame that spawned long lines and an Instagrammable way of experiencing art.

— Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Their beacon also recorded the chain of parent processes that spawned each install, ultimately revealing that coding agents, including Claude, OpenAI’s Codex, and Nous Research’s Hermes, were involved.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of spawn

Verb

The most important step countries can collectively take is to promote innovation.

— Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
But it is increasingly shaped by what’s happening on the other side of the country, in Washington, where the federal government is working to slow the transition to EVs and promote a fossil fuel future for America.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of promote

Verb

This pretty hamlet sits right on the Connecticut river in the foothills of the Green Mountains, so expect undulating blankets of colorful foliage in every direction.

— Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
The company licensed the intellectual property related to the approach from the National Eye Institute, which sits within the National Institutes of Health.

— Emma Clapp, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of sit

Verb

By taking stem cells from a host’s own body and encouraging them to differentiate before mixing them with a commercially available, soluble matrix gel, researchers may have cracked the most critical problems in the transplant process.

— Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
The bark can also be stripped from the branch, called girdling, which encourages faster root growth.

— Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of encourage

Verb

Since then, the species has been through 13 breeding seasons, with recovery efforts working to overcome challenges associated with low genetic diversity, including infertility and poor hatching success.

— Adela Suliman, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
Since 2004, over 80 zebra shark eggs have hatched at the Shedd, placing baby sharks at more than a dozen zoos and aquariums across the United States.

— Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of hatch

Verb

Nvidia made the investments to enhance its growth opportunities, cultivate its ecosystem and strengthen its competitive position, the company said in its earnings.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Another novel where the author explores how to cultivate the mind, body, home, and social circle in order to propagate creativity, and wonders what happens when any or all elements become fallow or diseased.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of cultivate

Verb

In addition, Autograph Hotels for the second consecutive year will host the festival’s VIP party at the historic Algonquin Hotel, where the New Yorker’s founders gathered to lay the groundwork for the magazine more than a century ago.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Early settlers of the Valley constructed the Salt River's first dams and laid the groundwork for the area's future.

— Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of lay

Verb

Establishing and nurturing a robust professional relationship map—comprising sponsors, mentors, allies and followers—enhances professional impact and reputation, both critical to accessing new opportunities.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Children’s imaginations and intellect should be nurtured rather than broken.

— Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026