nurtured

verb

past tense of nurture
1
as in cultivated
to help the growth or development of wanted to find the art school that would best nurture his artistic talent

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in educated
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding she feels that her lifelong practice of reading the Bible daily has nurtured her in ways she cannot describe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sustained
to supply with nourishment nurtured their children through the long winters with home-cooked soup

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 nurtured Parking was no more than $5 — that would be $10 today, after inflation — and the Dodgers nurtured the next generation of fans by offering free tickets to A students and a kids’ fan club that included six tickets for $2. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 As the youngest of four boys in a soccer-loving family, he was nurtured for moments like this one. — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 It can be nurtured, but there has to be an innate sense that resides in a person. — Bryan Cranston, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 Fundraising is what brings in resources, but development is where relationships are established and nurtured. — Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026 For a few years, Lizzie and Nance nurtured a closeness that was suspicious to Fall River society and to Emma especially. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 The shrubs, which grow along both sides of the winding pergola, were grown from small seedlings and nurtured at the farm. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 9 Sep. 2026 Although security needs to be nurtured year-round, the High Holidays offer a timely reason to review these best practices and improve the habits that keep our organizations safe in the weeks ahead and throughout the year. — Richard Priem, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026 The relationships nurtured by gift thinking diminish our sense of scarcity and want. — CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nurtured
  1. cultivated
  2. educated
  3. sustained
  4. encouraged
  5. inspired
  6. nourished
  7. promoted
  8. fostered
Verb
  • Vance speaks with the manipulative skill of a politician who has cultivated a rapid-fire style designed not to persuade, but to overwhelm.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Porsche has cultivated an identity that extends well beyond the vehicles sitting in its dealerships.
    — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • In keeping with royal tradition, the young Duke of Kent was educated at Ludgrove (also attended by Prince William and Prince Harry), then Eton and later Le Rosey in Switzerland.
    — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026
  • On campus, students are educated on the importance of not touching or feeding the donkeys, which weigh about 500 pounds and can charge at humans when feeling threatened.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of educated
Verb
  • This very serious injury was what was sustained by several riders after riding the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, including two who required emergency brain surgery.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Williams originally sustained the injury late in Chicago’s Week 2 loss to Minnesota, pulling up lame on a fourth-quarter scramble toward the end zone before being carted off in visible tears.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustained
Verb
  • He was encouraged to do so by Sadie Sink, who returned to Broadway in 2025 John Proctor is the Villain.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • For businesses, flood panels are not only permissible but also encouraged via flood insurance discounts.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • Eight finalists will compete in a series of challenges inspired by the skills required to make each and every order.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Technology’s impact on the shrinking media landscape inspired The Devil Wears Prada 2, which reunited Tucci with costars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and his real-life sister-in-law Emily Blunt.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of inspired
Verb
  • That rinse-clean standard matters for anyone worried about buildup, since a scalp oil that lingers after washing can leave hair looking greasy rather than nourished.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The JuicePop Box Lip Tint trades some of that high-gloss shine for more noticeable pigment, while still keeping lips nourished with ceramides and peptides.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of nourished
Verb
  • Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse asked why the company promoted the idea of users uploading X-rays to Grok, asking if that was safe and if HIPPA protections applied.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The singer-songwriter and pianist promoted his new record, AGAPE, earlier this month, according to a press release.
    — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of promoted
Verb
  • Mexico was struggling with debt crises, declining energy revenues, and the related breakdown of the ruling party’s half-century-old corporatist model, which had fostered a centralized, closed economy.
    — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This goldilocks amount of new technology in the ’90s also fostered a uniquely creative period.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of fostered

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Cite this Entry

“Nurtured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nurtured. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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