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
Relevance
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 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
-
The stress, this time around, comes from the level of disorganization currently plaguing the ER.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Wearing a pom pom hat and mittens and shovel in hand, a smiling Michelle Wu is trying to convince residents that the massive snow mounds plaguing city streets are not a bad thing, but a joyful experience.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Galahadosuchus represents one of the early ancestors of that lineage, and the evolutionary path from upright sprinter to belly-crawling ambush predator is a long one.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
-
But Baba’s streets were crawling with ICE proxies during his entire childhood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The custom, which can risk infecting infants with dangerous diseases, is practiced only in haredi Orthodox communities such as the substantial one in Antwerp.—
Philissa Cramer,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Left Arrow Right Arrow Fake browser extensions are nothing new, but this one takes things a step further by deliberately breaking your computer to scare you into infecting it.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His issues overrunning plays feel like ages ago.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
-
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 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
