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
Ours is one of a handful of countries never colonized by Europeans.
—
Arash Azizi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The world’s leading menswear brands have never been shy about colonizing new territory—and recently, the best are heading to the hills.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2026
Worldwide, as Birol suggests, electricity is colonizing sectors earlier dominated by combustion.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
SpaceX is developing Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, to help humanity colonize Mars.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonize
Arash Azizi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The world’s leading menswear brands have never been shy about colonizing new territory—and recently, the best are heading to the hills.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2026
Worldwide, as Birol suggests, electricity is colonizing sectors earlier dominated by combustion.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
SpaceX is developing Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, to help humanity colonize Mars.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonize
Verb
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Sadly, the full ring of fire will only be witnessed by the few human beings inhabiting research stations in the path of annularity, along with the millions of penguins who call the frozen continent home.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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While experts don’t fully agree on why or how so many rabbits came to inhabit the island today, there are some leading theories.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That’s a massive problem, because a detention center that’s open 24 hours a day and houses enough humans to populate a small city will put a far greater strain on public resources than any warehouse could.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
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Leonardo DiCaprio came pre-attached to the project, but Kulukundis was responsible for populating the various worlds around him.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Throughout Humphreys County and Hickman County, peopled gathered with their churches for support and comfort in the days after the tragedy.—
Beth Warren,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The Master is the greatest of them all, a movie peopled by characters who are at once intensely human and also the stuff of otherworldly fables.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonize. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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