overpopulate
verb
over·pop·u·late
ˌō-vər-ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt 
overpopulated; overpopulating; overpopulates
: to populate too densely : furnish or provide with more than the environment or market will bear
: to become overly populous
Examples of overpopulate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Big game like elk and deer can overpopulate a habitat, especially if there is a lack of predators.
—
Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 20 Jan. 2024
In-house and open-source solutions are useful for customers who find commercial SIEM platforms overpopulated with excessive features and are ready to support and modify their products or engage third-party specialists.
—David Balaban, Forbes, 17 July 2023
White men, however, still run corporate life and continue to overpopulate management ranks, despite a diversifying pipeline and the fact that, well, companies with diverse leaders make more money.
—Ellen McGirt, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2023
If left to overpopulate, elk and deer ravage the vegetation, and that can affect everything from erosion to river temperatures.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022
Turns out its show-offy wordiness is much better suited to Cumberbatch’s very sophisticated air, though even his take on the many characters that overpopulate this short narrative lost me around the six-and-a-half-hour mark.
—Marshall Heyman, Vulture, 23 June 2021
The argument that the world is overpopulated—and that control of birth rates holds the key to reversing climate change—dates back to Malthus, and remains a stubborn presence in the climate change debate today.
—Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 18 May 2020
Director Lisa Portes overpopulates the stage with performers who are largely squandered on overindulgent choreography or, in a half-baked thread, scenes visualizing the online community tracking Olivia’s blog.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2020
The ruling came after a seven-day trial in which attorneys for migrants who sued back in 2015 claimed the facilities were overpopulated, overly cold and unsanitary, according to The Associated Press.
—Nick Givas, Fox News, 20 Feb. 2020
Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 20 Jan. 2024
In-house and open-source solutions are useful for customers who find commercial SIEM platforms overpopulated with excessive features and are ready to support and modify their products or engage third-party specialists.
—David Balaban, Forbes, 17 July 2023
White men, however, still run corporate life and continue to overpopulate management ranks, despite a diversifying pipeline and the fact that, well, companies with diverse leaders make more money.
—Ellen McGirt, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2023
If left to overpopulate, elk and deer ravage the vegetation, and that can affect everything from erosion to river temperatures.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022
Turns out its show-offy wordiness is much better suited to Cumberbatch’s very sophisticated air, though even his take on the many characters that overpopulate this short narrative lost me around the six-and-a-half-hour mark.
—Marshall Heyman, Vulture, 23 June 2021
The argument that the world is overpopulated—and that control of birth rates holds the key to reversing climate change—dates back to Malthus, and remains a stubborn presence in the climate change debate today.
—Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 18 May 2020
Director Lisa Portes overpopulates the stage with performers who are largely squandered on overindulgent choreography or, in a half-baked thread, scenes visualizing the online community tracking Olivia’s blog.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2020
The ruling came after a seven-day trial in which attorneys for migrants who sued back in 2015 claimed the facilities were overpopulated, overly cold and unsanitary, according to The Associated Press.
—Nick Givas, Fox News, 20 Feb. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overpopulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overpopulate
Cite this Entry
“Overpopulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overpopulate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overpopulate
verb
over·pop·u·late
-ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt
: to populate too densely : cause to have too great a population
the city was overpopulated and polluted
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