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
Researchers currently believe dogs were first domesticated from grey wolves toward the end of the last Ice Age, and were the first animals to enter into a domestic relationship with humans, the study states.
—
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Dogs were domesticated from grey wolves between 32,000 and 11,000 years ago, towards the end of the most recent ice age.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
Appreciative of these qualities, humans have domesticated Cucumis sativus and traded it throughout the world, with the fruit’s coolness becoming another, if metaphorical, tendril.
—Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026
That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Dogs were domesticated from grey wolves between 32,000 and 11,000 years ago, towards the end of the most recent ice age.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
Appreciative of these qualities, humans have domesticated Cucumis sativus and traded it throughout the world, with the fruit’s coolness becoming another, if metaphorical, tendril.
—Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026
That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for domesticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domesticate
Verb
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Walsh and Knowles cultivated a big crowd in the rural northern Idaho college town with its backdrop of rolling hills and wheat fields.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
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And with the rise of artificial intelligence and other technologies, innovative talent management strategies and state support systems, forward-thinking Maryland manufacturers have a host of new opportunities to solve the age-old challenge of cultivating the next generation of talent.—
Mike Kelleher,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 73-year-old Weinstein kept his eyes trained on Mann throughout her Tuesday testimony, intermittently whispering to his attorney, Teny Geragos.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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The soldiers trained on both the Bumblebee V1, a small, first-person-view drone that has seen thousands of combat flights in Ukraine, and the newer Bumblebee V2, which has automatic target recognition specifically meant to counter other drones and which has not been deployed yet.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Once commercial and agronomic datasets are harmonized, AI models can analyze how incentives propagate through the system and quantify their real impact on demand.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The model is based on how lithium ions propagate through a battery’s electrodes, similar to how caffeine molecules dissolve from coffee grounds.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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First, locate the radiant to the left of the waning moon using a handy smartphone stargazing app.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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For Love in the Time of Cholera, 1989, for instance, Pau uses early Picture-in-Picture (PiP) technology to frame clips from Zuni’s 1988 October/Decameron stage performance, which then float, rotate, and cascade across the screen.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Imagine if Game of Thrones utilized the mind-altering technology of Westworld to extend the world of your favorite fantasy franchise beyond books, beyond television, into immersive theater-slash-amusement-park entertainment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
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To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
Verb
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On the bright side, the Eta Aquarid's are known to produce the occasional fireball, which could easily pierce the veil of moonlight cast by the lunar disk.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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Westin also produced an RBI single, while Augustana recruit JT Iles came through with a two-run double for the Thunderbolts (9-11), who with the win retained the Zabrocki Cup — the traveling trophy for the rivalry.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Some varieties, like ‘Tumbling Tom’ have a cascading habit while others, including ‘Tiny Tim’ have been bred specifically for growing in containers.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
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We are being told by our county public health authorities to not have any standing water on our properties because they can be used by mosquitoes to breed.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Manatee County, where leaders had hoped to adapt their comprehensive plan to guard against the storms that have battered the coast year after year, the same Legislature has declared that strengthening it is unlawful.—
Haley Busch,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
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Households with resources will find other ways to adapt — through private upgrades, newer homes, or alternative energy options.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domesticate. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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