Definition of multiplynext
1
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 Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less. Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026 The revenues of Anthropic and OpenAI have been multiplying every year, which proponents argue means that generative-AI products are on track to eventually become profitable. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026 The report also noted that in the Artibonite, where Gran Grif is entrenched in the lower parts of the rice-growing region, gang attacks have multiplied. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026 Other mutations, random genetic changes that humans noticed and kept for planting the next year, helped along the way, notably those that multiplied the number of fruits on the stalk and fattened each seed. Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for multiply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for multiply
Verb
  • No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Engineers are using their knowledge of fluid mechanics and materials science to reproduce the unique environment of the womb.
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Farmers had hoped to compensate for last year's losses, when farm bankruptcies increased for the second year in a row.
    Lana Zak, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The goal is to complete the project ahead of the FIFA World Cup, when traffic and pedestrian activity are expected to increase downtown.
    Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In the meantime, the Bay Area will stay dry on Thursday with a notable warming trend as temperatures rise back into the 80s across the interior, with a more muted warmup (into the 70s) closer to the water.
    Greg Porter, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2026
  • How could gravitation not be instantaneous between any two objects that would attract; how can this interaction only propagate at a finite speed that was equal to the speed of light?
    Big Think, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • With the 2026 midterms approaching, sustained voter unease could reshape the broader electoral map and complicate Republican efforts to hold or expand their congressional margins.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • But the department is looking to expand its authority.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • At the height of the pandemic — when learning loss was accelerating and reading gaps were widening — the approval process was estimated to take six months to a year.
    Daniel L Gordon, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • In the long term, the supply shock may accelerate nuclear restarts and electric vehicle adoption faster than years of climate policy ever managed.
    Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Fortifier, a product tailored to preemies, is meant to augment mother’s milk when babies are born prematurely and a mother’s milk alone doesn’t deliver enough nutrition.
    David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
  • And the bullpen highlighted by Carlos Estevez and Lucas Erceg augmented by the addition of Matt Strahm figures to give them an advantage in putting away games.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • From there, the Hornets’ advantage continued to swell with little Nets resistance, outside of a Minott flagrant foul early in the fourth quarter in a 27-point game.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • March 13 More than 300 TSA workers have resigned about a month into the partial government shutdown, DHS says, as employees miss their first full paycheck and callout rates swell.
    Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Multiply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/multiply. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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