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
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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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While a fuel crisis plagues the people of Lagos, Nigeria, a young cab driver dreams of a better life.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Mar. 2026
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Notably from a distribution standpoint, Double Vision’s sister production services business will assist with everything from music clearances – something that plagues many microdrama makers – and format bibles to localization services and local productions in key markets.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For me, boredom is a destabilizing state that infects the very experiences that make life meaningful.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
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Listeria infects about 1,600 people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Additionally, some of the visual scenery projected behind and above the set doesn’t always embrace but overwhelms the acting below.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
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In practice, fluent dialogue quickly overwhelms reflective distance.—
Deb Roy,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the Bay Area slowly — some might say glacially — crawls into spring, there’s nothing better than sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee to warm yourself up.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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As with aftermarket switchable sway bar systems, drivers can lock the sway bars in place for better handling and stability at speed and unlock them completely for maximum articulation during bumpy rock crawls.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infests. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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