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.
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
But when humans began living in villages and towns on the outskirts of those forests, some mosquitoes found the water stored in containers in human settlements a more attractive breeding ground.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 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
According to Kuchipudi, this made the mammary glands a "perfect breeding ground for the virus."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 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.
