expecting 1 of 2

adjective

as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body the special nutritional needs of expecting women

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

expecting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of expect
as in anticipating
to believe in the future occurrence of (something) we expect their arrival late this afternoon

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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 expecting
Adjective
This news marks the first time the National Zoo has had an expecting Asian elephant in nearly 25 years. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
Speaking of the defense, many are expecting TCU’s experienced defensive line to have its way with a North Carolina offense that often struggled to score 20 points last season. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 Before too long, Curiosity will be expecting to hear from us. — Ashwin R. Vasavada, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 Higher memory prices will pressure Nvidia near term, with Kress expecting profit margins to ease to around 71% in Q4 from about 74% in the third quarter, before moving back up again. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 To be clear, the Bears aren’t expecting Williams to be a finished product when Week 1 arrives. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The That’s So Raven alum and the Resident Evil star, both 41, are expecting their second baby together, a girl, sharing the news exclusively with PEOPLE. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Markus Strobel, executive chairman and interim chief executive officer, is expecting Coty’s top performers to pull their weight as the Gucci Beauty license, one of its crown jewels, transfers to L’Oréal in mid-2027, one year ahead of schedule. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026 Javier Assad certainly wasn’t expecting to be thrown into the tough situation Tuesday night. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 How Bishop Gold Group Educates Investors Consumers are increasingly expecting companies to explain the way fees, storage arrangements, account administration, and the purchasing processes that occur as a result of choosing a precious metal IRA. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expecting
  1. pregnant
  2. anticipating
  3. gone
  4. awaiting
Adjective
  • One week after finding out Meredith was pregnant, Johnny died.
    — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In cases that are considered to be too severe — such as when a pregnant woman at the center began experiencing labor pains — those individuals are airlifted to a nearby hospital.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pregnant
Verb
  • The return of diplomats to their posts would suggest Washington is not anticipating a return to all-out warfare.
    — Chloe Taylor,Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • One humanoid robot managed to successfully play tennis against a human, anticipating unpredictable moves and showing an ability to adapt in a real-world setting.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of anticipating
Adjective
  • Suddenly, photos, videos, or important documents are just… gone.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 15 May 2026
  • Room by room, the author takes us through the house, now long gone.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of gone
Verb
  • The two companies provide staff for detention centers, beds to house them, and ankle monitors to surveil those out on bond awaiting their hearings.
    — Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Gamblers would bet on the fates of prisoners awaiting execution and of prominent people whose illnesses were reported on in the newspaper.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of awaiting

Browse Nearby Words

expectedly
expecting
expectorate
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Cite this Entry

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

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