as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
rumors about the incident proliferated on the Internet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of proliferate
Officials warn of high fees as special districts proliferate
Meanwhile, in Heritage Harbour South — 10 miles from Harrison Ranch — the 980-acre district has similar homebuying price points and recreational facilities for residents.
—
Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Novels about novelists struggling to write novels have proliferated since the medium’s advent, from Joyce to Miller to Bolaño to Lerner to Chabon to Byatt to Baldwin.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 12 June 2025
Conflicts over land and territory will likely proliferate as the accelerating climate crisis collides with rising geopolitical tensions.
—Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
As the growing tide of travelers strains housing, water, and the most Instagrammable hotspots in the region, protests and measures to lessen the effects of overtourism have proliferated.
—Suman Naishadham, Christian Science Monitor, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for proliferate
Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Novels about novelists struggling to write novels have proliferated since the medium’s advent, from Joyce to Miller to Bolaño to Lerner to Chabon to Byatt to Baldwin.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 12 June 2025
Conflicts over land and territory will likely proliferate as the accelerating climate crisis collides with rising geopolitical tensions.
—Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
As the growing tide of travelers strains housing, water, and the most Instagrammable hotspots in the region, protests and measures to lessen the effects of overtourism have proliferated.
—Suman Naishadham, Christian Science Monitor, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for proliferate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proliferate
Verb
-
Exports to America fell a staggering 16 percent and increased elsewhere by only 2.9 percent.—
Stephen Marche,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2025
-
The bet is a next leg of L’Oréal’s increasing ambitions in the beauty-tech space, fueled by efforts to bring forth tech innovations that are accessible and solve solutions for everyday consumers.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Office completions in 2024 fell to their lowest share of inventory since 2012 and are set to slow further, reflecting high vacancy rates, rising debt and construction costs, and falling office values.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
-
Comparing unit prices at the grocery store, shopping the sale racks and collecting spare change are necessities for many Americans, who are coping with stagnant wages, rising prices and mounting bills.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Whether through the Deloitte Global FoF framework or others, leaders can benefit from taking a structured approach to investing in smart operations and to accelerating the convergence of IT and OT.—
John England,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Flooding that started slow was quickly accelerating.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
In the last five years, the company has worked to expand internationally, with budding sectors in global markets including Latin America and the United States.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
1 July 2025
-
Environmental concerns have long hampered plans to expand the airport, as efforts to preserve the marshlands, which are a crucial source of freshwater for South Florida, have routinely clashed with business interests.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
After the game, there seemed to be bruising and swelling around it.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
-
The camp is located on the Guadalupe River, where heavy rain swelled two of the river’s forks, city manager Rice said at a news conference Friday.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
These switchable cells, Young adds, are able to multiply themselves much more extensively than previous CAR T cells have in the past.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
-
Pay an additional $1 to add the Power Play for a chance to multiply all Powerball winnings except for the jackpot.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
To prolong its effects, people develop habits and with time, those habits accumulate into long-term consequences.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
In France, Gauguin had accumulated a small band of acolytes devoted to his iconoclastic paintings saturated with color and symbolism.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
But as the strikes intensified, targeting infrastructure and killing ordinary citizens, many Iranians began to conclude that the attacks were not merely a war against the regime but a war against the nation itself.—
MOHAMMAD AYATOLLAHI TABAAR,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
-
Kenya’s government withdrew the tax bill in June last year in the wake of the demonstrations, but outrage has intensified over the recent death of a teacher in police custody and the shooting of an unarmed street vendor by police.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Proliferate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proliferate. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share