Thesaurus results for MATING

mating 1 of 2

noun

as in sex

sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis if the mare doesn't get pregnant from this mating, you don't have to pay for the second try

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mating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mate

as in sleeping

to engage in sexual intercourse cats conceive almost every time they mate

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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 mating

Noun

The famed Big 5 (elephants, buffalos, leopards, rhinos, and lions) are all easily spotted in these lands, but the diverse habitats provide opportunities for different behavioral sightings, from feeding to bathing and mating. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026 For the past eight years, that's when Jackie and Shadow have begun reinforcing their nest and mating. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 The photo taken by Victor Huertas from Australia’s James Cook University shows how tens of thousands of cuttlefish use their skin’s natural pigmentation to vie for mating rights. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026 The production decision will be a complex mating dance between the prime contractor, the Pentagon and Congress. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2026 In nature, it’s believed that some beetles are shiny for camouflage, protection and mating purposes. — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 If their creations are deemed visually appealing, the males win the ultimate prize — mating privileges. — Dina Cheney, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026 First, there was Green Porno, her series of shorts that launched in 2008 on the Sundance Channel and explored some of the more bizarre mating behaviors in nature. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 The team recently investigated the mating habits of another species, Leiobunum limbatum, which showed quite a different routine. — Christa Lesté-Lasserre, Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2026

Verb

Eagles typically begin mating at 5 though some have started at the age of 4. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 31 July 2026 Wild turkeys can be particularly aggressive during mating season. — Elan Abrell, The Conversation, 22 July 2026 The females and males that develop from the pupae end up mating, which leaves the males and females in the wild to continue mating and laying eggs. — Alice Park, Time, 2 July 2026 Turning the biology against the pest So researchers have begun to refine the idea rather than replace it, keeping the once-mating biology at the center but letting the insects spread the effect themselves. — Ethan Stone, AZCentral.com, 17 June 2026 The New World screwworm's larvae eat live flesh and fluids instead of dead material, with females laying their eggs in open wounds and mucous membranes after mating only once in their monthslong lives. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 12 June 2026 By mating with sterile flies, the females don't produce more flies and outbreaks can eventually be halted. — ABC News, 8 June 2026 By mating with sterile flies, the females don’t produce more flies and outbreaks can eventually be halted. — Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 Darkness is essential to fireflies for mating and increasing their population. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mating

Noun

Treated almost as living beings themselves, many of the artworks in the LACMA installation take up animate relations to one another.

— George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Israel has seen its own relations with Turkey deteriorate during Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade rule.

— Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of relations

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

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maths

mating

matins

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

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Synonyms of mating

noun

verb

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