feed to

USAGE SUMMARY

In written English, “feed to” can be used when expressing the act of providing something to someone or something, such as food or information.
For example, “The mother bird fed her young ones worms to help them grow.”.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A few women collected scraps to feed to the chickens.

The New York Times - Travel

Comcast distributed the 3-D feed to television viewers.

The New York Times

Head & feed to France about 27m from the England line.

The Guardian - Sport

"As far as they are concerned, this is just the stuff they feed to their animals!

The New Yorker

It takes 2kg of feed to produce 1kg of chicken; 3kg for 1kg of pork.

The Economist

He has been using his feed to tell the stirring tale of Jeffrey the housefly.

The Economist

The sheriff's online feed to the department's radio scanner was shut down for the same reason.

The New York Times

"But we aren't looking for kids to feed to the pros".

The New York Times - Sports

It already exports animal feed to Zimbabwe and is looking at other markets.

The Economist

"It's really about the conversion of feed to meat," she said.

The New York Times - Science

feed to inoculum ratio.

AMB Express

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Remember to verify your sentence to ensure it remains clear who is doing the feeding and who is receiving it.

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by clearly specifying both the subject doing the feeding and the object receiving the feed. For instance, instead of "the data was fed", specify "the analyst fed the data to the algorithm" to avoid confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "feed to" functions primarily as a phrasal verb, indicating the act of providing sustenance or information to a recipient. As demonstrated by Ludwig, this can involve literal feeding or a metaphorical provision of something.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Social Media

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "feed to" functions as a phrasal verb denoting the provision of something—food, information, or other resources—to a recipient. As demonstrated by Ludwig, it sees frequent use across various contexts, from news to science, with a generally neutral register. Its versatility makes it a common choice, though care should be taken to ensure clarity in specifying both the provider and the recipient of the action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

give nourishment to

Highlights the nutritive aspect of feeding.

nourish

A simpler, one-word alternative focusing on providing essential nutrients.

provide for

Focuses on general provision rather than the specific act of feeding.

fuel

Implies providing energy or sustenance, often in a metaphorical sense.

supply with

Emphasizes the act of providing something necessary.

provision

Highlights the act of supplying what is needed, often in a broader context.

cater to

Implies satisfying a specific need or desire.

minister to

Suggests attending to someone's needs with care.

allocate to

Focuses on distributing resources or information.

administer to

Suggests formally giving or dispensing something.

FAQs

How can I use "feed to" in a sentence?

You can use "feed to" to describe providing food to someone or something, as in "They "feed to" the birds every morning". It can also be used metaphorically, as in "The company "feed to" the media".

What can I say instead of "feed to"?

Alternatives to "feed to" include "supply with", "provide for", or "nourish", depending on the specific context.

Is "feed to" formal or informal?

"Feed to" is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, although more formal alternatives might be preferred in academic or professional writing.

When is it better to use "nourish" instead of "feed to"?

While both imply providing sustenance, "nourish" ("nourish") often emphasizes the health and growth benefits, making it more suitable when discussing providing essential nutrients or promoting well-being, whereas "feed to" is a more general term for giving food.