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.
According to Kuchipudi, this made the mammary glands a "perfect breeding ground for the virus."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
Every year during the breeding season, the volunteers work to help toads cross the busy A525 from their land habitat to their ancestral breeding ground at the reservoir.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
“And that ambiguity naturally creates a breeding ground for people to play with the linguistic terms.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026
She laid blame on social media, saying the internet was a "breeding ground" that made it possible for major powers to persuade people to "engage in espionage and spread propaganda" in exchange for payment.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
Stagnant water and swampy spots provided the ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which spread malaria among the capital's residents during mild weather.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
