mutate

verb

mutated; mutating

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation
mutative adjective

Examples of mutate in a Sentence

a disease that mutates genes in humans a group of mutated genes Over time, her feelings mutated from hatred into love. opera singers mutating into pop stars
Recent Examples on the Web For most of the world, the virus went its way, mutating cleverly, with the weird mimic intelligence of microorganisms. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Initial impressions of Gracie’s relationships with her neighbors and her eldest son (Cory Michael Smith) also mutate over the course of the movie — not unlike the monarch butterflies that Joe keeps in special habitats throughout their home. EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023 One tussle is composed in black and white; others take place with the creatures skidding on oil slicks and water puddles, or gawking as the Chameleon, living up to her name, throws a jab that mutates into an elephant’s trunk. Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Several of Little Rope’s songs were written prior to this personal rupture, and were, unsurprisingly, mutated in its aftermath as Brownstein went through her grieving process. Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024 The latter is evident in Bella’s vengeance, which leads her to mutate her ex-husband into a chicken-dog hybrid. Armond White, National Review, 23 Feb. 2024 While strain does not yet appear to have gained a foothold outside of the country, other potentially worrying variants have been able to mutate to spread faster. Alexander Tin, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2024 Into this uneasy present wanders Godzilla, now gigantic and mutated by nuclear testing. David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2024 Less well known is chronic Covid: The virus just doesn’t leave, sometimes staying in patients’ bodies long enough to mutate into new variants. Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mutate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin mutatus, past participle of mutare

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of mutate was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near mutate

Cite this Entry

“Mutate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mutate

verb
mu·​tate ˈmyü-ˌtāt How to pronounce mutate (audio)
mutated; mutating
: to undergo or cause to undergo mutation

Medical Definition

mutate

verb
mutated; mutating

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation
mutative adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on mutate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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