as in plagued
to spread or swarm over in a troublesome manner
in desperation, we called in an exterminator because the house was infested with ants
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Recent Examples of infested
Soiled, Moldy, or Infested Items Clothing or furniture that smells of mildew, has visible stains, or has been stored in a rodent- or insect-infested environment should be discarded, never donated.
—
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2025
And then some of these astronauts get infested with extraterrestrial bugs, and everything becomes extremely gross.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Frustrated by delays in federal and state deterrence projects, and annoyed by their own encounters with the flying fish, residents of a small town in western Illinois saw both a challenge and an opportunity in the large numbers of silver carp that infested their stretch of the Illinois River.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
But humans can also become infested by the larva, according to the CDC.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
But humans can also become infested by the larvae, according to the CDC.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
People who travel to these areas, spend time among livestock animals, sleep outdoors, and have an open wound are at greater risk of becoming infested with NWS.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
People who travel to outbreak areas, spend time among livestock animals, sleep outdoors, and have an open wound are at greater risk of becoming infested with screwworm, the CDC noted.
—Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2025
Exclude ants by baiting them at the base of your specimen infested with the fungus or apply Vaseline to the trunk of the tree or branches of the shrub in a two-inch wide band.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2025
And then some of these astronauts get infested with extraterrestrial bugs, and everything becomes extremely gross.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Frustrated by delays in federal and state deterrence projects, and annoyed by their own encounters with the flying fish, residents of a small town in western Illinois saw both a challenge and an opportunity in the large numbers of silver carp that infested their stretch of the Illinois River.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
But humans can also become infested by the larva, according to the CDC.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
But humans can also become infested by the larvae, according to the CDC.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
People who travel to these areas, spend time among livestock animals, sleep outdoors, and have an open wound are at greater risk of becoming infested with NWS.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
People who travel to outbreak areas, spend time among livestock animals, sleep outdoors, and have an open wound are at greater risk of becoming infested with screwworm, the CDC noted.
—Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2025
Exclude ants by baiting them at the base of your specimen infested with the fungus or apply Vaseline to the trunk of the tree or branches of the shrub in a two-inch wide band.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infested
Verb
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By surviving more than 3,500 cycles, the material demonstrated an unusually high degree of durability for this class of batteries, which are often plagued by rapid capacity fade.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
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Yet, the industry is plagued by low wages and high turnover rates.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One is the fact that immune protection against the COVID-19 from either getting vaccinated or infected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 starts waning at the four-to-six month mark.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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One night, while staying late to finish up work, she's attacked, becoming the third member of the faculty to get infected.—
Keith Langston,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One roach crawled on the floor by the prep table.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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Insects crawled through clinical areas, and staff food was stored alongside medical supplies.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Many companies and industries are clearly overwhelmed by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence—with a recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology paper suggesting that 95% of generative AI pilot programs had failed among the dozens of companies the researchers surveyed.—
Giacomo Tognini,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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In my debut novel, Little Movements, the protagonist, Layla, is overwhelmed by these truths when she’s selected to be the choreographer-in-residence at a prestigious arts institution in rural Vermont.—
Lauren Morrow
September 9,
Literary Hub,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infested. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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