as in extended family
the part of a family that includes only the father, mother, and children
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Recent Examples of nuclear family
The nuclear family grieved privately at each milestone, joined, in time, by new members of the family, like Caroline's husband, Edwin Schlossberg, and their three children.
—
Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Looking to the 1950s nuclear family, Taubman envisioned moments of vulnerability behind the white picket fence.
—Ari Stark, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025
How should families think about the definition of family, which has long been thought of as the nuclear family?
—Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
This nuclear family was yet another way Major served as a possibility model for trans women in a world that told them love and biological family are less of an option.
—Tre’vell Anderson, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nuclear family
Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Looking to the 1950s nuclear family, Taubman envisioned moments of vulnerability behind the white picket fence.
—Ari Stark, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025
How should families think about the definition of family, which has long been thought of as the nuclear family?
—Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
This nuclear family was yet another way Major served as a possibility model for trans women in a world that told them love and biological family are less of an option.
—Tre’vell Anderson, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nuclear family
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuclear family
Noun
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The single-season series centered around her father and his relationships with Whitney, Bobbi Kristina and his extended family over the course of six months.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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Tim is, quite simply, the beating heart of our wild and wonderful extended family.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In November 2021, Johnson brought his blended family together for the premiere of his film Red Notice.—
Kelsie Gibson,
Peoplemag,
8 Feb. 2023
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Dietrich, 36, is now a stay-at-home mother to her blended family of four teenagers and a 17-month-old.—
Megan Leonhardt,
Fortune,
3 Jan. 2023
Noun
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Give me your hypothesized tribe breakdown.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Feb. 2026
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The pact with Washington, Oregon and four Native American tribes had allowed for a pause in the litigation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Already, one in six families are in arrears, Wolfe said, noting the association’s preliminary review shows that household utility debt climbed to roughly $25 billion at the end of last year, up from about $23 billion the prior year.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
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Concern is also growing over how salaries have lagged behind inflation, shriveling in value and squeezing household budgets.—
Isabel Debre,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But Sunday’s remarkable landslide mean the LDP now has enough seats to override votes in the upper house of parliament, to propose amendments to the constitution, and to chair all lower house committees alongside its coalition partner.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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When Warren went to pick her up at her parents' house, her brothers, Kevin, Reggie and Wayne, surrounded him.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But, as is often the case with the Fraser and MacKenzie clans, drama was never far behind.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
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When novelist Allegra Goodman introduces the clan, Jeanne is dying; at the book’s end, the family has assembled for Charlie’s bris.—
Clare McHugh,
Washington Post,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There was blood spatter on her front stoop, and the blood turned out to be hers.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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The social media star, who studied biomedical engineering, also gleefully unveiled the math behind an ocean of synthetic blood — two pumps running for eight hours at 190 gallons per minute.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Continue reading … POLITICS ON THE BRINK — Senate races to avert third shutdown as DHS deal takes shape.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Oklahoma City’s mayoral race will be decided soon as residents cast their vote between current Mayor David Holt and challenger Matthew Pallares.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nuclear family.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuclear%20family. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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