BRED-IN-THE-BONE Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

bred-in-the-bone

adjective

ˈbre-dᵊn-t͟hə-ˌbōn

Definition of bred-in-the-bone

as in chronic

being such by habit and not likely to change a bred-in-the-bone Democrat who always votes a straight ticket

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deep

firmly established over time bred-in-the-bone honesty earned him the nickname of "Honest Abe"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bred-in-the-bone

Adjective

The county’s access to healthcare, affordable housing and mental health services, along with chronic illness and violence within the community, have contributed to threats to public health, according to the county’s Community Health Assessment.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026
Fishmeal production has led to chronic chemical exposure, violent protests — typically spurred by the stench from fishmeal factories — and escalating transnational tensions as countries compete for catch.

— Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of chronic

Adjective

Shamet shot three-of-four from deep for 13 points in 16 minutes, and Clarkson scored seven points in nine minutes.

— Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
With c, the followup to last year’s UNMUSIQUE, Lucy is now two full-length projects deep for deadAir, sporting a new distribution deal with Atlantic and trying to translate their dreamscapes for bigger crowds.

— H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of deep

Adjective

Differences in wrinkling, color, markings, grain and veining are inherent characteristics of the material, making each pair subtly unique without affecting its quality or performance.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Rosatom says this inherent design prevents severe disasters, removing any need to evacuate local communities during an accident.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of inherent

Adjective

Harford County residents on alert The confirmed case inside an elementary school has some Harford County residents concerned about the presence of wildlife in the community.

— Ashley Paul, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
The Ebola outbreak centered in the eastern Ituri province is the fastest-growing in the disease’s history and remains out of control with 5,713 confirmed cases, including 2,744 deaths, according to Congolese health authorities.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of confirmed

Adjective

For a brand so rooted in sleek designs and drenched in an ever-present Bauhaus inspiration, seeing a botanical print infiltrating its language was unexpected.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Despite deep-rooted tensions between southerners and the PLC, both are in agreement that the Houthi threat is far greater than that of the other.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of rooted

Adjective

United never looked settled defending corners or set pieces, which further encouraged the home fans to get behind their team.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Jacobs launched Marc by Marc Jacobs in 2001, cementing his eventual status as a fashion mogul — and, at moments throughout his career, as a kind of enfant terrible who, as it’s shown in this documentary, has cooled down a bit, more settled and reflective in his late career.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of settled

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.

Browse Nearby Words

bred

bred-in-the-bone

breech

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bred-in-the-bone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bred-in-the-bone. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bred-in-the-bone

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nexus

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes