mul·ti·ply
ˈməl-tə-ˌplī 
multiplied; multiplying
2
a
: to find the product of by multiplication
multiply 7 and 8
b
: to use as a multiplicand in multiplication with another number
multiply 7 by 8
2
: to perform multiplication
mul·ti·ply
ˈməl-tə-plē
: in a multiple manner : in several ways
multiply talented children
mul·ti-ply
ˌməl-tē-ˈplī
-ˌtī-
: composed of several plies
Synonyms
Examples of multiply in a Sentence
Verb
Complaints about the new procedure soon multiplied.
Her responsibilities multiplied when she was promoted.
Her responsibilities were multiplied by the promotion.
The bacteria multiply rapidly in warm, moist conditions.
The teacher taught the children how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
Recent Examples on the Web
Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2023
The satellite viruses had genes that coded for their outer protein shell, but did not have the genes needed to multiply within bacterial cells.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Nov. 2023
The number of victims in shootouts seemed to multiply on the back end of telegrams.
—Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
The musician and visual artist Jean Dawson is consistently viral — clips of his wide-ranging and somewhat existential interviews have a way of multiplying on social feeds — and yet remains a genuine enigma.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023
Take the people who decided to partake in the egg-cracking challenge and multiply it by 364 million Instagram followers.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 24 Oct. 2023
Every day brings fresh word of airstrikes in Gaza — hitting hospitals, refugee camps, bakeries as well as water, power and communication infrastructure — as civilian casualties multiply.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
If slugging is used too often and for too long, pimples can form, germs can multiply, and the skin can even become inflamed.
—Claudia Herwig, Glamour, 7 Nov. 2023
In the latter, an influential public key encryption algorithm developed in 1982 by Shafi Goldwasser and Silvio Micali hinges on multiplying two large primes p and q together and outputting the result, N, along with a number, x, which is not a square modulo N.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023
Decades of studies show those risks multiply with every hospitalization and each delay in care.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2023
Then, the T cells multiply and target the tumor cells that have neoantigens on them, attacking and potentially destroying them.
—Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 16 May 2023
Either of these things can cause the bacteria inside to rapidly multiply — eventually, the appendix becomes swollen with pus.
—Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2023
Famed oilmen Nelson Bunker and William Herbert Hunt had spent billions accumulating the shiny stuff at below $10 an ounce and watched their holdings multiply to around $13 billion when prices soared to $50.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2020
And when you’re stumped on what to write for your Easter Instagram caption, bust out one of these gems and watch the LOLs and tears of joy emojis multiply in response.
—Hannah Jeon, Good Housekeeping, 28 Feb. 2023
As deaths from Covid-19 multiply across the globe, so do numbers of the bewildered bereaved.
—Clair Wills, The New York Review of Books, 19 Nov. 2020
But history also drops strong hints that today's darling might not be beloved by the end of a multiply-extended contract.
—Detroit Free Press, 19 Jan. 2023
Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Nov. 2023
Founded 99 years ago in the Northern Italian town of Trivero in Piedmont, the brand is a mainstay of wintertime luxury, known for its multi-ply cashmere knitwear, featherweight vicuña scarves and tailored wool overcoats.
—New York Times, 1 May 2023
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Verb
Beyond this date, the safety of consuming these items becomes increasingly uncertain, as bacteria could have multiplied to levels that could pose health risks.
—Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2023
The satellite viruses had genes that coded for their outer protein shell, but did not have the genes needed to multiply within bacterial cells.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Nov. 2023
The number of victims in shootouts seemed to multiply on the back end of telegrams.
—Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
The musician and visual artist Jean Dawson is consistently viral — clips of his wide-ranging and somewhat existential interviews have a way of multiplying on social feeds — and yet remains a genuine enigma.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023
Take the people who decided to partake in the egg-cracking challenge and multiply it by 364 million Instagram followers.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 24 Oct. 2023
Every day brings fresh word of airstrikes in Gaza — hitting hospitals, refugee camps, bakeries as well as water, power and communication infrastructure — as civilian casualties multiply.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
If slugging is used too often and for too long, pimples can form, germs can multiply, and the skin can even become inflamed.
—Claudia Herwig, Glamour, 7 Nov. 2023
In the latter, an influential public key encryption algorithm developed in 1982 by Shafi Goldwasser and Silvio Micali hinges on multiplying two large primes p and q together and outputting the result, N, along with a number, x, which is not a square modulo N.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
Adverb
Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza as invasion expands, risks multiply
Not long after that exchange, the meeting ended.
—Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023
Decades of studies show those risks multiply with every hospitalization and each delay in care.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2023
Then, the T cells multiply and target the tumor cells that have neoantigens on them, attacking and potentially destroying them.
—Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 16 May 2023
Either of these things can cause the bacteria inside to rapidly multiply — eventually, the appendix becomes swollen with pus.
—Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2023
Famed oilmen Nelson Bunker and William Herbert Hunt had spent billions accumulating the shiny stuff at below $10 an ounce and watched their holdings multiply to around $13 billion when prices soared to $50.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2020
And when you’re stumped on what to write for your Easter Instagram caption, bust out one of these gems and watch the LOLs and tears of joy emojis multiply in response.
—Hannah Jeon, Good Housekeeping, 28 Feb. 2023
As deaths from Covid-19 multiply across the globe, so do numbers of the bewildered bereaved.
—Clair Wills, The New York Review of Books, 19 Nov. 2020
But history also drops strong hints that today's darling might not be beloved by the end of a multiply-extended contract.
—Detroit Free Press, 19 Jan. 2023
Adjective
Rolls of hanji in every texture, color and thickness line the walls of the two-story space, ranging from smooth letter-sized pages to premium multi-ply options.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Nov. 2023
Founded 99 years ago in the Northern Italian town of Trivero in Piedmont, the brand is a mainstay of wintertime luxury, known for its multi-ply cashmere knitwear, featherweight vicuña scarves and tailored wool overcoats.
—New York Times, 1 May 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'multiply.' 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
Verb
Middle English multiplien, from Anglo-French multiplier, from Latin multiplicare, from multiplic-, multiplex multiple
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Adverb
1881, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
1926, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of multiply was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing multiply
Dictionary Entries Near multiply
Cite this Entry
“Multiply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multiply. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
multiply
verb
mul·ti·ply
ˈməl-tə-ˌplī
multiplied; multiplying
1
a
: to increase in number : make or become more numerous
b
: to produce offspring : breed
rabbits multiply rapidly
2
a
: to use in finding a product by multiplication
multiply 7 and 8
multiply 7 by 8
b
: to perform multiplication
first divide and then multiply
More from Merriam-Webster on multiply
Nglish: Translation of multiply for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of multiply for Arabic Speakers
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