infest

as in to plague
to spread or swarm over in a troublesome manner in desperation, we called in an exterminator because the house was infested with ants

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 infest Lice likely infested Thompson’s body for more than 28 days, according to the report. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025 Singh says bed bugs could infest the clothes inside of your luggage. Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, Fox News, 14 Jan. 2025 How did Eagle get infested? Conspiracy theorists, er, experts pointed to out-of-staters moving into town. Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 10 Jan. 2025 The 2,000 trees arrived, but unfortunately were found to be infested with pests and destroyed. Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for infest 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infest
Verb
  • The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, plays a musician plagued by insomnia and facing an emotional breakdown in the official trailer for the suspense thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, the first feature film from the pop star set for a May 16 theatrical release.
    Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2025
  • The snacking giant, part of PepsiCo., will run a minute-long Super Bowl commercial for its flagship Lay’s that will try to do for potatoes in the Big Game what Budweiser has done for Clydesdale horses and Chrysler did for an American plagued by recession.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • For those not familiar (or who maybe just have a bit of illness exhaustion!), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says animals infected with bird flu can shed the virus via saliva, mucus, and feces.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 6 Feb. 2025
  • One reason may be that H5N1 is clumsy at infecting people.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The City Beautiful has been overrun by these signs – tax refund, Marijuana Card, Junk Car, etc. signs.
    Ticked Off, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Voltaire’s announcement about elections and his take on the security situation got immediate push-back in Port-au-Prince, where other politicians cast doubt on the possibility of holding a vote when the capital is still overrun by gangs.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • After a disastrous trip to Mexico where Irina appeared repulsed by everything Zack did, the couple split and Zack went crawling back to Bliss.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025
  • Did your skin start crawling off your body in secondhand embarrassment as Mark and Helly just kind of wobbled around in that hallway almost kissing for almost 40 damn seconds?
    Brian Grubb, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Instead, Stephen Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff for policy, has taken the lead in the approach to overwhelm the opposition while moving quickly on the president's agenda.
    Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
  • For example, an American Iron Dome, if proven successful, could be seen as a threat by some and result in an arms race to overwhelm it.
    David Szondy, New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infest. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

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