nurtured

verb

past tense of nurture
1
as in cultivated
to help the growth or development of wanted to find the art school that would best nurture his artistic talent

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in educated
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding she feels that her lifelong practice of reading the Bible daily has nurtured her in ways she cannot describe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sustained
to supply with nourishment nurtured their children through the long winters with home-cooked soup

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 nurtured Parking was no more than $5 — that would be $10 today, after inflation — and the Dodgers nurtured the next generation of fans by offering free tickets to A students and a kids’ fan club that included six tickets for $2. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 As the youngest of four boys in a soccer-loving family, he was nurtured for moments like this one. — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 It can be nurtured, but there has to be an innate sense that resides in a person. — Bryan Cranston, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 Fundraising is what brings in resources, but development is where relationships are established and nurtured. — Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026 For a few years, Lizzie and Nance nurtured a closeness that was suspicious to Fall River society and to Emma especially. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 The shrubs, which grow along both sides of the winding pergola, were grown from small seedlings and nurtured at the farm. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 9 Sep. 2026 Although security needs to be nurtured year-round, the High Holidays offer a timely reason to review these best practices and improve the habits that keep our organizations safe in the weeks ahead and throughout the year. — Richard Priem, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026 The relationships nurtured by gift thinking diminish our sense of scarcity and want. — CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nurtured
  1. cultivated
  2. educated
  3. sustained
  4. encouraged
  5. inspired
  6. nourished
  7. promoted
  8. fostered
Verb
  • Eisenkot has cultivated a reputation for integrity, competence, and personal rectitude, forging relationships across Israel’s fractured political spectrum.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Smith, who previously worked at fashion house Loewe, sees an opportunity for technology to develop the same kind of recognizable identity that fashion brands have cultivated for decades.
    — Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • He was educated at Middlebury College, and lived in New York City for 15 years, before settling back on the farm with his wife, Olga, and their children, Fiona and Abraham.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Of that cohort, CSET found that 70 percent were foreign-born or foreign- educated.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of educated
Verb
  • The Nordic communal goal is a focus on holistic well-being that can be sustained over the long term by every individual, from professional athletes in their prime to elders.
    — Lola Akinmade, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The stock market is a function of more than presidential politics, as growth in tech stocks has sustained the broader market.
    — Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustained
Verb
  • Alison Linder, assistant sustainability coordinator at Occidental College, which has a thrift store of its own with Halloween costumes in stock, encouraged people to organize their own swaps with neighbors, friends or school classmates.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has repeatedly dismissed previous caution of AI tools and encouraged rapid autonomous innovation at the Pentagon.
    — Chiara Eisner, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • Scientists have spent decades trying to build artificial molecular machines inspired by the motors that power movement inside living cells.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • How Richard Branson inspired Tan-Gillespie’s career ethos As Tan-Gillespie’s career developed, so did her aspirations.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of inspired
Verb
  • That rinse-clean standard matters for anyone worried about buildup, since a scalp oil that lingers after washing can leave hair looking greasy rather than nourished.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The JuicePop Box Lip Tint trades some of that high-gloss shine for more noticeable pigment, while still keeping lips nourished with ceramides and peptides.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of nourished
Verb
  • She eventually was promoted over to the ice cream machine—and began to grow fond of the adrenaline-like rush that can come with working in a restaurant.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In low doses, the kratom plant is promoted as giving users greater alertness and physical energy but it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for medical use.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of promoted
Verb
  • An accompanying recording of residents’ voices attests to the sense of community that the design fostered.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Departing from standard panel formats, the event fostered an open, candid exchange around the dinner table.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fostered

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nurtured
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Cite this Entry

“Nurtured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nurtured. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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