mutate

verb

mu·tate | \ ˈmyü-ˌtāt

, myü-ˈtāt

mutated; mutating

Definition of mutate

intransitive verb

: to undergo mutation

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation

Other Words from mutate Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about mutate

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Synonyms & Antonyms for mutate

Synonyms

change, fluctuate, shift, snap, vary

Antonyms

plateau, stabilize

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

Chapman was staring down an issue that’s vexed hundreds of policymakers before him: America’s beguiling network of messy fireworks laws, which seems to mutate and contradict itself every day. — Luke Winkie, Vox, "Anime brings in more than $19 billion a year. Its artists are earning barely enough to survive.," 2 July 2019 The mites spread viruses that have mutated to become increasingly lethal to honey bees, and also reduce the insects’ tolerance to pesticides that are ubiquitous in the environment. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Honey bee losses highest in 13 years this winter, University of Maryland-led survey finds," 19 June 2019 For one thing, individual cancers mutate differently. — Shefali Luthra, latimes.com, "Promising to cure cancer is easy politics. The science is much more difficult," 22 June 2019 But the cause of religious freedom, which is one of America’s founding ideals, has mutated ideologically in odd ways. — The Economist, "The gripping case of Scott Warren," 14 June 2019 Eventually, things fall apart; cells stop dividing, DNA mutates, organs fail. — Josh Wilbur, WIRED, "You Could Live Forever With This Sci-Fi Time Hack," 4 June 2019 Its remarkable resilience comes from its ability to easily mutate, producing new strains annually that medical researchers must identify and then develop new vaccines to address. — National Geographic, "Flu outbreak rages near Everest base camp," 30 Apr. 2019 This bombardment is known to damage the structure of DNA and cause cells to mutate or die off altogether, increasing astronauts’ risk of disease. — Amber Jorgenson, Discover Magazine, "Sex and the Cosmic City," 18 Apr. 2019 But for now let’s just enjoy the fact that the automotive stability control system, traditional destroyer of fun, has mutated into this: Track Mode, the world’s finest instability control system. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "Electric Slide: We Drove the Tesla Model 3 in the Snow to See How It Fares as a Rally Car," 21 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mutate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.