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

Instead, this campy and melodramatic action flick from 1993 mutated into an immersive research experience for me that was firmly anchored in the global pop culture of the time. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026

As music mutated in subsequent decades giving rise to the proliferation of independent music, specific publications cropped up to cover it with the online magazine Pitchfork becoming a leader. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026

Kerr took over what Mark Jackson started to build with the young Warriors core and mutated it by inserting Draymond into the starting lineup when David Lee got hurt. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026

The story centers on Se-jeong, a biotechnology professor who is attending an industry conference when a fast-mutating virus is released, sending the event into chaos. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Apr. 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