as in plaguing
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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Recent Examples of infesting
The moths infesting a pantry are not the same as moths hiding in your closet.
—
Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
Spotted lanternflies have been infesting parts of the East Coast.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 16 Oct. 2025
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
Aphids and Spider Mites These tiny, sap-sucking insects become more active in the fall, infesting flowering and fruiting plants.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
Spotted lanternflies have been infesting parts of the East Coast.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 16 Oct. 2025
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
Aphids and Spider Mites These tiny, sap-sucking insects become more active in the fall, infesting flowering and fruiting plants.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infesting
Verb
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The report is among the latest examples of the affordability crisis plaguing Americans who are struggling to afford the cost of living amid stubbornly high prices for food, housing, utilities and other necessities.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
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CrowdStrike stock has slipped 7% this year, caught up in the broader sell-off plaguing the software industry.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hanson, who spends much of his life crawling through underbrush to count trees, plunged ahead into stands of chest-high ceanothus, pointing out sequoias camouflaged in the pervasive post-fire brush.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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That didn’t bother the three roaches crawling on the floor by a carbon dioxide tank inside the storage room behind the office.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The suppurating contempt Sheridan feels for the Big Apple oozes its way through much of the series, its condescending pus infecting stunning vistas, swelling musical compositions and at least one award-worthy performance, courtesy of Michelle Pfeiffer.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
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People who develop symptoms after an exposure should call before seeking medical care, to reduce the odds of infecting others.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His issues overrunning plays feel like ages ago.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
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Russian forces seized the nuclear plant and its surrounding area in the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, overrunning the plant in February 2022 and holding staff hostage.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infesting. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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