Synonyms of breed

breed 1 of 2

noun

as in type

a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common

some people say that honest politicians are a rare breed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• type
• kind
• genre
• stripe
• sort
• variety
• species
• nature
• description
• kidney
• manner
• strain
• class
• ilk
• order
• persuasion
• feather
• like
• model
• category
• specimen
• family
• group
• sample
• grouping
• set
• bracket
• suite
• division
• grade
• bunch
• lot
• rank(s)

breed

2 of 2

verb

ˈbrēd 

1

as in to reproduce

to bring forth offspring

rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reproduce
• propagate
• multiply
• produce
• procreate
• generate
• parent
• mother
• spawn
• have
• sire
• hatch
• beget
• engender
• gender
• get
• bear

2

as in to raise

to bring to maturity through care and education

he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain

Synonyms & Similar Words

• raise
• foster
• nurture
• teach
• promote
• feed
• educate
• cultivate
• nurse
• mother
• bring up
• watch
• nourish
• cradle
• minister (to)
• rear
• father
• train
• attend
• mentor
• school
• supply
• care (for)
• provide (for)
• discipline
• lead
• show
• instruct
• forward
• mind
• prepare
• further
• indoctrinate
• guide
• shepherd
• enlighten
• advance
• edify
• direct
• tutor

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abuse
• mistreat
• ignore
• maltreat
• neglect
• harm
• ill-treat
• hurt
• mishandle
• injure
• ill-use

3

as in to cause

to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

this habit of favoring one employee over the others will breed resentment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cause
• create
• bring
• generate
• do
• produce
• spawn
• prompt
• work
• yield
• induce
• effect
• translate (into)
• make
• bring about
• invoke
• draw on
• beget
• result (in)
• effectuate
• give rise to
• found
• engender
• promote
• catalyze
• encourage
• bring forth
• contribute (to)
• occasion
• bring on
• introduce
• foster
• pioneer
• develop
• establish
• determine
• cultivate
• institute
• decide
• begin
• initiate
• conduce (to)
• launch
• start
• inaugurate
• set up
• nurture
• forward
• further
• innovate
• set
• render
• turn out
• enact
• father
• advance
• nourish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restrict
• limit
• impede
• control
• stifle
• subdue
• suppress
• quash
• crush
• put down
• smother
• check
• repress
• restrain
• retard
• quell
• kill
• curb
• dampen
• inhibit
• arrest
• can
• rein (in)
• squash
• destroy
• crack down (on)
• squelch
• clamp down (on)
• still
• abolish
• liquidate
• extinguish
• demolish
• quench
• snuff (out)

4

as in to sleep

to engage in sexual intercourse

cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sleep
• mate
• copulate
• have sex
• do it
• fornicate
• fool around

5

as in to plant

to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set

parents who breed in their children a deep respect for people of all classes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plant
• implant
• root
• inseminate
• sow
• inculcate
• embed
• instill
• lodge
• drive
• enroot
• infix
• invest
• pound
• entrench
• inoculate
• hammer
• imbue
• infuse
• steep
• suffuse
• fix
• ingrain

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of breed

Noun

Apex, a large dog weighing 130 pounds and belonging to a naturally active breed, now has trouble moving and running and is in constant pain, Shin said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026

Frequency, tools and technique all depend on breed, coat type, lifestyle and skin health. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026

Verb

In the wild, a tree frog breeding chorus can include dozens or even hundreds of calling males. — Claire Therese Hemingway, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026

Mosquitoes need only one tablespoon of water to breed, so areas like rain gutters, birdbaths or buckets with stagnant water are all possible breeding sites. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026