breeding ground
Americannoun
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a place where animals breed or to which they return to breed.
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an environment suitable for or fostering the development of an idea, thing, etc..
a breeding ground for violence.
Etymology
Origin of breeding ground
First recorded in 1930–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now, half of all U.S. adults under 50 get their wellness advice from social media, and that is a ripe breeding ground for private companies to market to audiences.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
Social media is the new breeding ground for the kind of toxicity that the people mining Panettiere’s death for views purport to abhor.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
The best way to prevent infection is to make sure your home is not a breeding ground for virus-carrying mosquitoes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
A group that helped more than 1,000 toads reach their breeding ground safely say they fear the creatures have died after a reservoir was drained.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
Another bonanza was the development of world trade routes, which by Roman times effectively joined the populations of Europe, Asia, and North Africa into one giant breeding ground for microbes.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
