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
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
Pothos grown as houseplants can be infested with spider mites or whiteflies, which can cause yellowing or pale leaves.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2025
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
Pothos grown as houseplants can be infested with spider mites or whiteflies, which can cause yellowing or pale leaves.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 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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Approximately 50% of people infected with Ebola die of the extensive hemorrhaging the disease causes, although that figure varies widely depending on the strain and the available medical care.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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The 30-year-old was subsequently diagnosed with chorioamnionitis, a serious condition that occurs when the membranes that surround the fetus and amniotic fluid are infected by bacteria.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On Wednesday, a similar scene closely followed as the funeral procession for Kansas City, Kansas, police officer Hunter Simoncic crawled along through the highways and streets in the community Simoncic worked to keep safe.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
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Eby crawled across a ladder over the water to the vehicle, then crawled back with the child on his back, the video shows.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
3 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 11 Sep. 2025.
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