mutate

verb

mu·tate | \ ˈmyü-ˌtāt ,

myü-ˈ

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

In the face of widening evidence of Trump campaign culpability in the Russia investigation, Republicans have churned through a frequently mutating series of conspiracy theories to defend him. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s FBI Spy Theory Is Completely Insane," 23 May 2018 Drug users may sell the valuable pills, or patients may forget a few doses, allowing the virus to mutate. — NBC News, "Hepatitis C cure eludes patients as states struggle with costs," 6 May 2018 The worst-case scenario occurs when a skin cell, like a melanocyte, mutates and becomes cancerous—but UV rays also cause free-radical damage in the skin, which can lead to premature aging, sun spots, and immune-system damage. — Brennan Kilbane, GQ, "This Magical New Pill Reduces Long-Term Sun Damage," 7 June 2018 Antibiotic resistance occurs when a strain of bacteria mutates and develops the ability to survive the drugs intended to kill it. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "How Worried Do You Really Need to Be About So-Called ‘Super Gonorrhea'?," 31 May 2018 Related And understanding the mechanisms can help drug designers stay a step ahead of bacteria that constantly mutate and evolve new ways to resist the effects of antibiotics. — NBC News, "Why some bacteria eat antibiotics and what we can do about it," 30 Apr. 2018 The long-term challenge will be making sure growers use a mixed-bag approach to reduce the likelihood that weeds will eventually mutate their way toward being able to feast on phosphite. — Lynn Brezosky, San Antonio Express-News, "A&M cotton research could open new front in war on weeds," 5 July 2018 When autophagy’s essential genes are mutated and the process goes wrong, diseases from cancer to inflammatory bowel disease to Parkinson’s can result. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, "Is it time to target autophagy to treat disease?," 14 June 2018 Is there concern about this strain mutating in a way that would render the vaccine unhelpful, and are there any genome-sequencing efforts ongoing in real time to track the viral changes? — Dina Fine Maron, Scientific American, "Everything You Need to Know about the Ebola Vaccine," 17 May 2018

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.