breed
verb (used with object)
to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.
have bred
-
present perfectof breed.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Zoo conservationists have bred 300 near-extinct tiny snails and introduced them back into the wild.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But progress is slower in the industrial transport and manufacturing sectors, where lower fossil-fuel prices over the past year have bred complacency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
Nights filled with the melody of How are you, How’s your family, Did you hear, and I met someone, over the hum of fully booked, candlelit restaurants, have bred some of my favorite memories.
From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2025
In the millennia since humans first settled, we have bred countless plant varieties with advantageous characteristics, such as increased yields, improved quality, resistance to pests or hardiness.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 15, 2024
Using a different method, Jorge Mora-Urpi, one of Clement’s collaborators, concluded that Indians might have bred the modern peach palm by hybridizing palms from several areas, including the Peruvian Amazon.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
