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as in to reproduce
to bring forth offspring rabbits multiply with proverbial rapidity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb multiply contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of multiply are augment, enlarge, and increase. While all these words mean "to make or become greater," multiply implies increase in number by natural generation or by indefinite repetition of a process.

with each attempt the problems multiplied

When is it sensible to use augment instead of multiply?

The meanings of augment and multiply largely overlap; however, augment implies addition to what is already well grown or well developed.

the inheritance augmented his fortune

When would enlarge be a good substitute for multiply?

The synonyms enlarge and multiply are sometimes interchangeable, but enlarge implies expansion or extension that makes greater in size or capacity.

enlarged the kitchen

When could increase be used to replace multiply?

The words increase and multiply can be used in similar contexts, but increase used intransitively implies progressive growth in size, amount, or intensity; used transitively it may imply simple not necessarily progressive addition.

his waistline increased with age
increased her landholdings

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 multiply School permission slips, bills, coupon mailers, and appliance manuals multiply quickly. Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 17 June 2025 The cost per $1,000 was determined by dividing the average premium that companies charge policyholders by the average risk exposure and multiplying by 1,000. Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2025 So, if Maryland really builds 8,500 MW of OSW with a capacity factor of 43%, these numbers multiply out to a total Maryland liability of $2.8 billion per year, for 20 years. Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2025 Integrating more servers multiplies the risk from email systems to database access and image generation APIs. Kiran Elengickal, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for multiply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for multiply
Verb
  • In ideal conditions, flies reproduce in less than a week, says Oi.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 18 June 2025
  • With the ability to reproduce an actor’s exact facial performance with little to no input from an animator, Dorothy can shoot 48 frames a second.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The gap between the top 75th percentile and the bottom 25th percentile performers increased by 1.5 times in Q1 2025 compared to a year earlier, with market leaders continuing to charge ahead while the bottom 20% to 30% of the sector continued to report a reduction in growth.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 June 2025
  • The increasing supply of NPs and PAs could offset this primary care shortfall if their capabilities were fully utilized.
    Web Golinkin, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • That, however, may be a blessing in disguise that allows Fatu to rise up the ranks on SmackDown even quicker than expected.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Foodborne illnesses can spike in the summer months, especially given the higher temperatures and rise in outdoor dining like picnics and cookouts.
    Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • The New Risk Physics Twelve days of limited warfare revealed that risk now propagates along supply networks faster than along battle lines.
    Guney Yildiz, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • But the process is slow, especially when surviving trees are stressed and might not propagate.
    Christina Kelso, New York Times, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Organizers are also expanding the slate of live podcasts with Johnny Manziel’s Glory Daze and Jeff Teague’s 520 Podcast set to take the stage, for example.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025
  • Most significantly, 62% say their responsibilities have expanded significantly beyond their core reporting roles, with 37% reporting layoffs or buyouts at their organizations in the past year.
    Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Putting oneself in those situations that challenge conversational comfort zones and embracing discomfort, tension and unresolved conflicts accelerates growth significantly.
    Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025
  • Throughout the 1960s, New York City’s financial sector boomed, yet simultaneously, poverty rates soared, deindustrialization accelerated, and housing costs skyrocketed.
    Daniel Wortel-London, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2025
  • Next, executives will pull draft decks, key performance indicators (KPIs) and reports from internal systems and augment them with AI summarization of complex documents into executive digests.
    Paroon Chadha, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • LoPresti said southern flannel moths sting through venomous hairs that can cause burning, numbness, swelling, and in severe cases, nausea or full-limb inflammation.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2025
  • As of Wednesday, the number had swelled to 1,218, according to the ACLU of Southern California.
    Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Multiply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/multiply. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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