pullulate

verb

ˈpəl-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce pullulate (audio)
Definition of pullulatenext
as in to burst
to be copiously supplied a tough city neighborhood that has a reputation for pullulating with prostitutes and petty criminals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pullulate
  1. burst
  2. buzz
  3. bulge
Verb
  • The skins cling like wet T-shirts to the filling beneath, with each plump bundle nearly bursting with big, discernible chunks of shrimp and ground pork.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Heaps of plot aren’t required, of course, but one watches Color of the Sun with a constant itch for something to burst through the movie’s mannered stillness and liven up the picture.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of burst
Verb
  • Flies buzz over the rotting carcass, which is riven by claw marks so unnaturally deep that no one can determine whomauledit.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • At the AfD’s final preelection rally Thursday in the state capital, Magdeburg, a crowd of 6,000 is buzzing.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of buzz
Verb
  • At the end of his second-round match against Hubert Hurkacz, an eye-bulging celebration followed a relentless performance against a very tricky opponent.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Inside, the main route to the galleries is down a stairwell between rough black bulging walls.
    — Michael Joseph Gross, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bulge
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pull together
pullulate
pullulated
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Cite this Entry

“Pullulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pullulate. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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