parents 1 of 2

noun

plural of parent
as in mothers
a person who brings forth and raises a child The couple recently became parents for the first time. She grew up in a single parent household.

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parents

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of parent
as in raises
to bring forth and raise to maturity through care and education They expertly parent their second child using all the lessons learned from raising their first.

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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 parents
Noun
All the accounts of her story agree that this young heiress, named Maria de Lourdes Fernandes, witnessed the deaths of her parents; her guardian then locked her up and drove her to suicide to get her inheritance. — Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 But Dooley, who founded the website AI-Empowered Mom to reduce parents’ mental load through AI, distinguishes passive, isolated screen use from productive or interactive uses. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 Also, though my parents had no way of knowing it at the time, Dad’s father died in China that same year. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 Douglas and Zeta-Jones, who are parents to son Dylan, 26, and daughter Carys, 23, separated in 2013 before reconciling eight months later in 2014. — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Thousands of children are now separated from parents at the border, denied asylum protections and threatened with the loss of legal safeguards. — Hannah Harshe, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026 Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache said in a hearing lasting more than eight hours that in some cases children were isolated and denied food while their parents watched. — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
The influence on how each generation parents their children is striking as well. — Sari Hitchins, Parents, 11 June 2026 Looking ahead, the pair plan to relocate to Florida, though Andrew will split his time between the Sunshine State and Baltimore as he co-parents his two daughters. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026 Fellow plaintiff parents Brandy Roberts and Joann Bogard also snagged seats and joined Rodriguez in the back row of the courtroom to watch Zuckerberg’s testimony. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2026 Waukesha School District parents Joe Burke and Sean Shurbet have questioned the district's enrollment data, saying the City of Waukesha's data shows current and projected growth that contradicts district data. — Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025 That seems like an eternity ago to Cane babies born that year and perhaps now parents themselves. — Greg Cote Miami Herald, Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parents
  1. mothers
  2. raises
  3. moms
  4. nurtures
  5. nurses
  6. fosters
Noun
  • Even before the Clancy trial began, the forensic psychiatrist Susan Hatters-Friedman pointed out to me how quickly the discourse around the case had turned to postpartum psychosis, a rare disorder that affects about one in a thousand new mothers.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Branche says more women, including herself, are building careers and stable lives before becoming mothers.
    — Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of mothers
Verb
  • That raises practical questions about safety and accessibility, along with concerns about jobs.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, deadly Russian attacks continue, as Ukraine raises concerns about cracks in support from the US.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of raises
Noun
  • Girls playing baseball and their moms coaching them was a rarity in the late 1990s.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers compared three approaches to hepatitis B vaccination for babies born to moms who test negative for hepatitis B in pregnancy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of moms
Verb
  • The result is a shoe for everyone who nurtures, Saucony noted.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Additionally, an irrigation system that uses recycled water nurtures the lush tropical landscape.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of nurtures
Verb
  • At the family estate, Sybylla, who nurses inchoate hopes of becoming a writer, is to be remade into a suitable wife.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Ultimately, Etna’s closest bond is with the itinerant medic Hong who nurses his emaciated, shrapnel-scarred body.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of nurses
Verb
  • Looking at differences using a balanced frame communicates positive intent, fosters deeper trust and builds engagement.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • With the help of literature and creative writing, the nonprofit fosters a space for connection, self-expression and imagining a life beyond incarceration.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of fosters

Browse Nearby Words

parenting
parents
pares
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Cite this Entry

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

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