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, 19 Feb. 2026
Houseplants that are already wilting, suffering from root rot, or infested with pests shouldn't be watered with rice water, notes Harryson.
—Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
The calf was probably too young to have been shipped from farther south, raising the likelihood that it had been infested by an adult screwworm in Tamaulipas.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
The Greenland situation reminds me of a story about a bunch of South American cowboys pushing a herd toward a creek known to be infested with piranhas.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
The tiny hayloft would later become infested with lice and vermin.
—Edie Kasten, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Typically, these pests get into our homes by purchasing products that were infested at the store, warehouse or production facility.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
If trees are lightly or not-yet infested, they can be sprayed or injected with insecticides.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
It was also infested with hookworms, according to the report.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
Houseplants that are already wilting, suffering from root rot, or infested with pests shouldn't be watered with rice water, notes Harryson.
—Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
The calf was probably too young to have been shipped from farther south, raising the likelihood that it had been infested by an adult screwworm in Tamaulipas.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
The Greenland situation reminds me of a story about a bunch of South American cowboys pushing a herd toward a creek known to be infested with piranhas.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
The tiny hayloft would later become infested with lice and vermin.
—Edie Kasten, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Typically, these pests get into our homes by purchasing products that were infested at the store, warehouse or production facility.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
If trees are lightly or not-yet infested, they can be sprayed or injected with insecticides.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
It was also infested with hookworms, according to the report.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infested
Verb
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The violence captured on cellphone videos and shared around the globe – buses burning, gas stations attacked, military helicopters flying overhead – wasn’t just happening in remote rural towns long plagued by drug violence.—
Mary Beth Sheridan,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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But controversial government efforts to redress inequalities have been plagued by corruption and cronyism.—
Michael H Gavshon,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hospitalization rates can vary greatly by a measles outbreak’s location and who is getting infected.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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In Texas, a measles outbreak infected 762 people, and killed two children.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After two hours in their second pass, a large object crawled across the screen of Ehorn's Klein side-scan sonar.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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One live roach crawled on the floor in front of a storage rack with seasoning and cans.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the early morning of July 4, 2025, flooding triggered by unrelenting rain that overwhelmed the Guadalupe River swept away dozens of girls at the historic camp.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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However, the scale of the programming often overwhelmed the logistics.—
The AI Insider,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infested. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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