mutate

verb

mu·​tate ˈmyü-ˌtāt  myü-ˈtāt 

mutated; mutating

intransitive verb

: to undergo mutation

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation

mutative

ˈmyü-ˌtā-tiv  -tə-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms of mutate

• change
• vary
• shift

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

Of these, 16 of them proved to be viable and able to kill certain strains of Escherichia coli—including strains of the bacterium that had mutated to be resistant to the original reference genome of ΦX174. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026

The causes of superhero fatigue — which have recently arguably mutated into full-on franchise fatigue for many properties — have been endlessly discussed. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, Spider-Man is struggling with his mutating powers — and the fact that his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) are making memories at MIT with zero recollection of their former pal. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Aug. 2026

Like so much of language, serviceberry’s origins are a mish-mash of a few different things, mutated over time. — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 30 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin mutatus, past participle of mutare

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for mutate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

mutate

verb

mu·​tate ˈmyü-ˌtāt 

mutated; mutating

: to undergo or cause to undergo mutation

Medical Definition

mutate

verb

mu·​tate ˈmyü-ˌtāt  myü-ˈ 

mutated; mutating

intransitive verb

: to undergo mutation

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation

mutative

ˈmyü-ˌtāt-iv  ˈmyüt-ət- 

adjective