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Recent Examples of precocial
Hares are also born fully furred and with their eyes open, a trait called precocial, whereas rabbits are born hairless, blind, and vulnerable, needing more parental care in the early stages of life.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Ducks are what scientists call precocial birds — capable of feeding, swimming and walking soon after hatching.
—New York Times, 22 June 2022
Godwits and most other ground nesters, on the other hand, are precocial birds.
—Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022
Game birds, precocial, have larger clutches because the young, feathered and out of the nest upon hatching, are more subject to predation.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021
The opposite are precocial birds, birds that hatch with feathers and are mobile and ready to go shortly after emerging from the egg.
—Anna Thomas Bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 June 2017
Comparison with avian brain evolution suggests that placental brain size should be constrained due to placentals’ relative precociality, as has been hypothesized for precocial bird hatchlings.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 Sep. 2010
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Ducks are what scientists call precocial birds — capable of feeding, swimming and walking soon after hatching.
—New York Times, 22 June 2022
Godwits and most other ground nesters, on the other hand, are precocial birds.
—Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022
Game birds, precocial, have larger clutches because the young, feathered and out of the nest upon hatching, are more subject to predation.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021
The opposite are precocial birds, birds that hatch with feathers and are mobile and ready to go shortly after emerging from the egg.
—Anna Thomas Bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 June 2017
Comparison with avian brain evolution suggests that placental brain size should be constrained due to placentals’ relative precociality, as has been hypothesized for precocial bird hatchlings.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 Sep. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precocial
Adjective
-
That means advocating for policies that expand opportunity—supporting job creation, workforce training, homeownership, and small businesses—while opposing ideas that keep people dependent or stagnant.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
As has now been thoroughly documented, these women worked with Epstein expecting modeling or business opportunities that in many cases never materialized, and would often become dependent on him for a visa, housing, or money.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Jeanne, the gardener in our household, wondered whether these air plants were parasitic.—
Betsy Andrews,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Tablets are used to treat conditions caused by parasitic worms, and the FDA has approved ivermectin lotions to treat lice and rosacea.—
Rachana Pradhan,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Interestingly, one of Mather’s colleagues at URI, disease ecologist Janelle Couret, has looked at how Lyme bacteria may actually help ticks withstand the heat, a type of symbiotic relationship that she’s seen in insects.—
Alex Kuffner,
The Providence Journal,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Noah Whiteman, a professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley, hailed the paper for demystifying a symbiotic relationship that has captivated scientists.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Defendants contest only that CASA has not satisfied the first requirement for such associational standing.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precocial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precocial. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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