as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
believes that someday humans will be sent to colonize Mars
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Recent Examples of colonize
The spores can then grow, colonize, and produce a toxin in the still-developing intestines.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
15 June 2026
Infant botulism occurs when Clostridium botulinum spores enter and colonize the intestinal tract, causing botulinum neurotoxins to grow there, according to the CDC.
—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Moss has colonized the ceiling, and tall trees keep sentry over the store’s diverse and eclectic inventory.
—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
How many times has the Philippines been colonized or occupied?
—
Ryan MacAsero,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonize
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
15 June 2026
Infant botulism occurs when Clostridium botulinum spores enter and colonize the intestinal tract, causing botulinum neurotoxins to grow there, according to the CDC.
—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Moss has colonized the ceiling, and tall trees keep sentry over the store’s diverse and eclectic inventory.
—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
How many times has the Philippines been colonized or occupied?
—
Ryan MacAsero,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonize
Verb
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The Tohono O’odham had inhabited its land for hundreds of years before Mexico, through the 1854 Gadsden Purchase, ceded some of it to the United States.
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Butterflies belonging to the Heliconius genus, which inhabit the tropical rainforests of South and Central America, have lifespans that vary wildly.
Verb
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Plenty of those who populate that category are championed instead of criticized.
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What struck me most in Satrapi’s rendering of the veil—and of Islam itself—was her refusal to settle for the literal or flattened stereotypes that so often populate Western narratives.
Verb
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Today, this part of the South Side seems to be almost entirely peopled by Black families.
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Ishaq has made a film peopled with women and boys who go beyond simple archetypes, setting joyful female solidarity against omnipresent conflict in a way designed to communicate with a broad demographic.
Cite this Entry
“Colonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonize. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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