Thesaurus results for MATING

mating 1 of 2

noun

as in sex

sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis if the mare doesn't get pregnant from this mating, you don't have to pay for the second try

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mating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mate

as in sleeping

to engage in sexual intercourse cats conceive almost every time they mate

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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 mating

Noun

In the Jackson Hole region, a small and isolated group of the birds gathers each spring at a mating site on the grounds of Jackson Hole Airport, where growing air traffic has created dangers for both the grouse and aircraft. —

Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026 The species’ elaborate mating rituals and fierce attachment to their breeding grounds make the conservation challenge uniquely difficult. —

Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2026 The species is known for elaborate mating behavior on communal breeding grounds called leks. —

Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026 Published in Royal Society Open Science, the research focuses on Salganea taiwanensis, a wood-eating cockroach species that appears to form what scientists call a pair bond — a close, long-term social connection between two individuals that goes beyond a single mating event. —

Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026 The insects gather early in the morning as part of a mating swarm. —

Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026 Bighorn sheep are known for their headbutting battles, often clashing for dominance and mating rights. —

Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026 Some woodcock lovers describe it as a mating dance, but scientists who study them have different theories. —

ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026 This peak in gobbling activity usually lasts one to two hours, but mating gobblers can often be called up at any time of day. —

Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026

Verb

Signs warned, caution deers mating. —

Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026 Following the rescue, Rob Hope — manager of the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, which is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of raptors — told CTV News that fights among eagles are quite common as mating season approaches. —

Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026 The cam has followed Jackie and Shadow, who have been mating since 2018, and made the birds worldwide celebrities and regular fixtures of morning TV shows. —

Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026 But these flourishes don’t seem essential for mating. —

Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026 Love in the dark The deep ocean is a challenging place to find a partner, especially since octopuses are solitary animals that wander the seafloor alone, mating only during highly infrequent encounters. —

Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2026 The population of coyotes doubles in Cook County during mating and whelping season, research shows. —

Adam Harrington, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026 The most likely explanation for this mirror image pattern is mating behavior. —

ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026 His team found an association between a symbol that looks like the letter Y and the time at which the animals depicted on the object gave birth, as well as a link between an X and the time of year the animals were seen mating. —

Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mating

Noun

The findings, from 1,592 U.S. citizens of different ages, sexes, races and incomes, were collected between Dec. 20 and Dec. 22.

— Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025
On his first day in office, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that declared the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female.

— CBS News, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025