as in to cultivate
to change (a wild animal or plant) over time to make it more suited to life with or use by humans
Humans domesticated wolves to produce man's best friend.
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Recent Examples of domesticate
Zebras are difficult to domesticate due to their aggressive nature, lack of a family structure, and a strong ducking reflex that prevents easy capture.
—
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 June 2025
Cat Hunting Instincts No matter how domesticated a cat is, their hunting instinct is still very strong, says Mikel Maria Delgado, an animal behavior psychologist and author of Play With Your Cat.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 26 May 2025
Gerard Finley’s Antony makes a good partner to this rather domesticated Cleopatra.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 13 May 2025
Nine thousand years ago, humans began domesticating cats.
—Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 June 2025
Cat Hunting Instincts No matter how domesticated a cat is, their hunting instinct is still very strong, says Mikel Maria Delgado, an animal behavior psychologist and author of Play With Your Cat.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 26 May 2025
Gerard Finley’s Antony makes a good partner to this rather domesticated Cleopatra.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 13 May 2025
Nine thousand years ago, humans began domesticating cats.
—Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domesticate
Verb
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As a media personality, Bongino spent years cultivating an impressive following on the right, many of whom remain behind him in this current fight.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
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Doctor Donald Trump's Witness Move Fails in Gavin Newsom Case Trump has cultivated a warm relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has visited the White House multiple times.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Verb
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The Undertaker is also training Jelly Roll to team with Randy Orton as the pair will wrestle Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul at WWE's SummerSlam. Music City, more than ever, could easily double as America's pop cultural epicenter.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
26 July 2025
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Fincke previously trained to serve as pilot on Starliner-1, the first operational flight of Boeing's troubled Starliner spacecraft.—
Brett Tingley,
Space.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Others say the mushrooms might have propagated from areas of commercial cultivation.—
Amber X. Chen,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 July 2025
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The researchers simulated the way airport and military radar signals from New York’s JFK and London’s Heathrow and Gatwick propagate through space.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
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This is when the teen uses social conflict to express frustration.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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Sink the tool into the ground and use leverage to dislodge the rhizomes.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 July 2025
Verb
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On Saturday, nearly 40 people were involved in the search for Sawyer, while around 70 were mobilized on Sunday, officials said. ATVs, canine units and drones have also been utilized in the search efforts, officials said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
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The case was reopened with fresh eyes in 2019, and authorities began utilizing DNA technology in their investigation, the police chief said.—
Mike Stunson
July 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Additionally, the company's Orion Assembly facility, originally slated to become an EV-only plant, will now produce light-duty pickup trucks and SUVs.—
Stuart Dyos,
The Tennessean,
23 July 2025
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The fleet includes a host of rarities, such as the 10 millionth Ford Mustang produced (built at the Flat Rock Assembly plant) and the 1999 Ford Thunderbird Concept as well as various iterations of the company’s famed GT supercars.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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These useless jobs in turn breed further useless work.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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For almost 10,000 years, people in the Arctic have kept dogs for hunting and sledding, breeding them for desirable traits.—
Rudy Molinek,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Coale said that while lawyers may be learning to adapt to the technology’s quirks, clients could soon become the larger liability.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
20 July 2025
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This would not only give researchers time to understand and control the behavior of existing AI systems, but would also give institutions time to adapt and prepare for how to prevent economic disempowerment of American workers from mass AI automation.—
Jason Hausenloy,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticate. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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