cultivate

verb

ˈkəl-tə-ˌvāt How to pronounce cultivate (audio)
Definition of cultivatenext
1
as in to develop
to come to have gradually cultivated a taste for opera in order to fit in with his new circle of friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to promote
to help the growth or development of cultivated a passion for learning among his students over the years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to grow
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care in an attempt to produce New World counterparts of the wines that he had enjoyed in Europe, Jefferson cultivated several varieties of grapes at Monticello

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to harvest
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on we ought to cultivate the field out back

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 cultivate Dahlan has since cultivated close ties with the United Arab Emirates, which has relations with Israel and was the driving force behind the 2020 Abraham Accords. — Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 Much of the design world seems to be cultivating a similar mood, launching furniture and accessories that, if not directly inspired by early childhood development, could easily fit into a classroom. — Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026 Reese also notes Slayyyter spent years cultivating her sound and fanbase without once sacrificing her true self. — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026 Instead, North Korea has cultivated relations closer to home, especially with Russia, which has gladly accepted thousands of North Korean soldiers for the front lines of its war in Ukraine. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cultivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cultivate
  1. develop
  2. promote
  3. grow
  4. harvest
  5. acquire
  6. encourage
  7. produce
  8. tend
Verb
  • Researchers have developed a paper-thin foot membrane that lets crawling microrobots harvest electricity directly from the ground beneath them, ditching heavy onboard batteries by turning metal and silicon surfaces into an active power source.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Neil Carleton, a cancer biologist and first-year resident physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said that breast tumors can develop and grow differently in older patients than in younger ones because of hormone levels and inflammation.
    — Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of develop
Verb
  • The group emphasized that its request isn't intended to promote robocalls.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The actor stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote their latest film, Digger (and gamely participate in a cooking segment with Wishbone Kitchen).
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of promote
Verb
  • Now some of the nation’s most prestigious health systems are jumping into the growing business of longevity.
    — Sarah Todd, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The actor was in and out of colleges but studied acting and grew fond of Shakespeare, according to People.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of grow
Verb
  • An extensive kitchen garden and greenhouse are maintained on the property where the team grows and harvests organic fresh greens, vegetables, and herbs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Research has found that produce starts to lose nutritional value as soon as it’s harvested.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of harvest
Verb
  • The Ferragamo family began their hospitality venture by acquiring the Hotel Lungarno in Florence in 1995 but only launched the Portrait collection in 2012.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Abnormal Studios, a subsidiary of Westec Media Limited, has been acquiring and releasing films since 2020 and has handled more than 400 titles to date.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of acquire
Verb
  • Unlike many spas that focus on the healing effects of treatments, Kamalaya goes much deeper, encouraging guests to explore more emotional issues in a safe space.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Terry Strada, whose husband, Tom Strada, was killed in the attacks, said she was encouraged that more than 100 family members of 9/11 victims turned out and by the judges’ questions.
    — Tom Winter, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of encourage
Verb
  • Enhanced oil recovery uses techniques such as carbon dioxide injection to increase the amount of crude oil produced from an oil field.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The fact Chourio didn't automatically rank it atop the list speaks volumes about all the memorable moments the 22-year-old already has produced in his first three seasons.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of produce
Verb
  • Over millions and billions of years, the drag from a star’s magnetic field slows its rotation, and in fact, the astronomers found that stars with stronger magnetism tended to rotate more slowly.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
  • When a signal repeats that consistently, clinical guidance tends to follow.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tend

Browse Nearby Words

cultists
cultivate
cultivated
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Cite this Entry

“Cultivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cultivate. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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