Definition of breedingnext

breeding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of breed
1
2
3
4
as in sleeping
to engage in sexual intercourse cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

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
Some gibbons at the conservation center were born there; others were traded with different institutions to ensure diversity in breeding programs. Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 The reptile dealers need to be more conscientious, and there needs to be more captive breeding. Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
And as Mike [Van Nostrand] says, if people were breeding more reptiles that may take pressure off of the poachers. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026 Usually spotted in Texas, Anhingas (Anhinga anhinga) are now breeding in the Bay State. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for breeding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breeding
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
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
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
Verb
  • Running open-weight AI agents and programs has been gaining steam, creating shortages for desktop Macs.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The rest of the lunar surface may take on an eerie reddish-orange hue, creating an impressive 'almost blood moon'.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2026
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
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
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
Verb
  • Instead, Shanahan recommends layering, a method of propagating new plants from a still-living thyme specimen.
    Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Mai is propagating more than 170 varieties collected from refugees around the world, helping preserve these precious grains while studying which are best suited to our changing climate.
    Laura Mclively, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Breeding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breeding. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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