Thesaurus results for INFEST

infest

verb

in-ˈfest

Definition of infest

as in to plague

to spread or swarm over in a troublesome manner in desperation, we called in an exterminator because the house was infested with ants

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of infest Jurors heard testimony from three of Alsheikh’s victims who said they were packed into small, filthy, cold, wet cells that were infested with insects and other vermin. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 For bare soil or areas heavily infested with persistent weeds, apply a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of organic mulch directly over the bare soil. — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026 The man takes on work as a trauma cleaner in hopes of facing his past, but the job soon begins to infest and unravel his mental state. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 Otherwise, the flour could go stale in a few months or become infested by bugs in the pantry. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for infest

Recent Examples of Synonyms for infest

Verb

Minnesota lawmakers with broad bipartisan support this year approved a new watchdog agency tasked with fighting fraud that's plagued social services programs in the state for years.

— Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Previous administrations have been plagued by poor accountability on large-ticket projects, a problem the president’s critics say remains the case under Tinubu.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of plague

Verb

About a week after that procedure, Bickelhaupt received a second opinion from a different neurosurgeon, who said the bone flap was infected and should be removed.

— Zoey Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
The virus has also been known to infect sheep, goats, horses and alpacas.

— Sahas Mehra, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of infect

Verb

However, its popularity comes with downsides — the neighborhood is often overrun by trick-or-treaters early in the evening, with crowds lasting well into the night.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Stephen Hubbard, 74, is a Michigan native who was living in eastern Ukraine in 2022 when it was overrun by Russian forces and he was detained.

— Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of overrun

Verb

However, a new type of gut-crawling worm being designed by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), may actually be here to help.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
Firefighters bravely crawled past the fire before hoses reached it to pull the five family members out.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of crawl

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infertility

infest

infested

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“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infest. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of infest

verb

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