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 There was even a collaboration with Hello Kitty featuring Ito’s monstrous Tomie, a creature who resembles a pretty girl but can grow a copy of herself from her smallest part and infest her victims. Sam Thielman, New York Times, 21 May 2025 Their morphology would be more distinct and allow the insect expert to hone in on which species was infesting the home. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 10 May 2025 Many herbs also attract whiteflies, which will then infest your cucumbers. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 May 2025 Despite more than a year of oversight, Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Mich., said universities continue to be infested with antisemitism. Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for infest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infest
Verb
  • Much of the documentary explores Walters' insecurities, which plagued her despite her incredible accomplishments.
    Gillian Telling, People.com, 16 June 2025
  • American aviation has been plagued with several tragedies this year, starting with the fatal midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5432 and a military Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., in which 67 people died.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • Diabolical medical experiments were carried out without anesthesia, deliberately infecting victims with diseases, subjecting them to freezing temperatures, disfiguring operations and worse.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
  • Just as all life forms need water to thrive, so do the fungi, viruses and bacteria lying in wait to infect plants.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Stop running for even a millisecond to scratch your nose and you’ll be overrun with ghouls and creatures of the night.
    Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • For a brief, beautiful moment on June 5, the world was overrun with go-kart-racing cows.
    Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • To make the stakes even higher, Player 39 crawls to the edge after the round ends.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • The next day, at 9:10 p.m., Boelter crawled out of a wooded area and surrendered to law enforcement.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • The number of wild burros roaming pine forests and sagebrush fields has grown in recent years, with experts worried that the miniature beasts of burden could overwhelm rare and endangered species of plants.
    Annie Goodykoontz, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
  • In recent weeks, Russia has been sending swarms of drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and then following up with ballistic missiles, which are harder to shoot down.
    Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infest. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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