as in plagues
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 infests
These parasites and their eggs contaminate soil, which then infests drinking water and food, especially in areas with poor sanitation.
—
Jenna Anderson, Health, 8 Aug. 2025
Jenna Anderson, Health, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infests
Verb
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The damned disease especially plagues Mexican American men like me, and many aren’t getting screened.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Similarly, programs that encourage regular movement and mental breaks help mitigate the burnout that often plagues high-growth teams.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Listeria infects approximately 1,250 people in the United States annually, by CDC estimate, and kills about 172.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Jan. 2026
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Listeria infects about 1,600 people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For the characters, the love itself overwhelms every other consideration of feeling.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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What overwhelms her isn’t the wedding itself, but the realization that her lifelong role as Lexi’s default person is about to shift.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ma crawls toward you and plants her palms on your cheeks.—
Molly Aitken,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
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John Tufts The weather outside is about to get frightful as a potentially dangerous winter storm crawls its way across the country.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infests. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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