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 Quagga mussels and golden mussels, fingernail-sized invaders infesting California waterways, clog the water pumps and pipes responsible for distributing water to millions of people and vast stretches of farmland. Pam Marrone, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025 The home was hoarded, covered in refuse and infested with insects. Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 23 Sep. 2025 Pathologists soon discovered that some remains were infested with bluebottle fly larvae. Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025 The latter being especially notable in one of the later levels, which is infested by body-horror-type monstrosities, as their screams are genuinely unnerving. Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infest
Verb
  • But the first five weeks of the season have proven that wrong, both in terms of the Ravens’ roster construction and the injuries that have plagued their team.
    Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
  • But since then, she has been plagued by scandal.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In addition, raccoon feces may contain Baylisascaris roundworm eggs, which can infect humans and lead to nerve damage or blindness.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
  • In cells infected with influenza A, FOOD and F-ApoEVs contained viral proteins and even whole virions, which are the complete, infectious viral particles that exist outside a host cell.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One analyst who praised the plan was accused of being a race traitor, and other critics have voiced fears that China will be overrun by outsiders.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Social media, in Tranter’s view, had been overrun by music listeners (especially gay ones) acting a little too opinionated.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The innovation could pave the way for medical tools that move through the body’s arteries or inspection devices that crawl into complex machinery.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Over three hours, small groups navigate a challenging underground world, scrambling over boulders, belly-crawling through narrow passages, and squeezing through tight spaces to discover hidden marble wonders.
    Heide Brandes, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Walt Disney Imagineering updated the storyline of Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchway earlier this year by turning her from an axe murderer who beheads her wealthy husbands into a more mournful figure overwhelmed by the dread of lost love.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Over such spans, change overwhelms continuity; too much simply disappears.
    Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infest. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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