as in mom
a female human parent
he dreaded telling his mother that her favorite figurine had gotten broken
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in maternal
of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother
she often offered to babysit for friends, hoping to satisfy her mother urges until she had children of her own
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to have
to bring forth from the womb
I hope to mother at least one child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to nurse
to attend to the needs and comforts of
mothered the patients with chicken soup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 mother
Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
The suspect accused of shooting and killing a mother and her 4-year-old son last month in Joliet, Illinois, was released from the hospital and processed on charges in the shooting, according to police.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
The footage sees Sheriff Mickey Fox (played by Homeland’s Morena Baccarin) juggling her law enforcement duties with the challenges of mothering her daughter Skye (Degrassi: The Next Generation‘s Amanda Arcuri).
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother
Noun
Zeis described her daughter as a devoted mother and the glue of her family.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
The suspect accused of shooting and killing a mother and her 4-year-old son last month in Joliet, Illinois, was released from the hospital and processed on charges in the shooting, according to police.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
His father worked as a janitor and mother a governess.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
The footage sees Sheriff Mickey Fox (played by Homeland’s Morena Baccarin) juggling her law enforcement duties with the challenges of mothering her daughter Skye (Degrassi: The Next Generation‘s Amanda Arcuri).
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother
Noun
-
In her sleeveless silver jumpsuit, Duff – who is also a mom of four – was visibly appreciative of the crowd reception blasted her direction.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Of course, Bazzel's mom, Carolyn, was there.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Under his guidance, students have helped author and inspire Illinois legislation on issues that include climate education, media literacy, fentanyl awareness and maternal health equity, the district said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This brought back family gossip and hesitant bits of information about my mother’s beloved grandfather, my maternal great-grandfather.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bipartisan skepticism of corporate power comes and goes in America, but the latest wave has roots in the parallel streams flowing from the Great Financial Crisis, Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Kids will have a blast at the Seaport Museum next door, especially when exploring the mock-village section and tall-mast whaling ship.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This is a fast-track nursing degree program for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Women dominate among American stars, including alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, snowboarder Chloe Kim and downhill skier Lindsay Vonn, making a comeback at 41 and nursing a knee injury but still hopeful to compete.—
Greg Cote
February 1,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Our show is expertly produced, as always by Chris McLeod of Blue Elevator Productions and our very own Josh Billinson.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Karacasu Tekstil did its part, launching its Spinnovation collection of yarns that use half as much water and produce half as many carbon emissions.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Elsewhere in boys hockey action, Brian Dilisio delivered a hat trick that proved the difference for Essex Tech, anchoring a 4-1 win over Martha’s Vineyard to take the tournament championship.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Glenn, who became the first woman since Kwan to win three consecutive national titles, will come in as the heavy favorite but Liu, the only member of the team with Olympic experience, and the 18-year-old Levito, a silver medalist at worlds, could deliver just as easily.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
With fertility rates below replacement levels, the economy cannot birth its way out.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Claude, who was birthed as the original Assistant, was the label attached to one such self.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
