as in to change
to pass from one form, state, or level to another
colored lights that slowly mutate from green to blue and so on across the color spectrum
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Recent Examples of mutate
Once dismissed as a Nineties fad, shoegaze has never stopped mutating and expanding as a musical language.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
However, such dormancy could be a life strategy too, keeping the bacterium stable with its DNA replicated (albeit with next to no chance of mutating or evolving) every time the host divides.
—New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025
But from around 1988 to 1995, a number of labs identified a whole series of genes that, when mutated, could actually increase lifespan [in yeast and animals].
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
The slaying of the serpent was a mythological superspreader, mutating and proliferating across the Indo-European world and beyond.
—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mutate
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
However, such dormancy could be a life strategy too, keeping the bacterium stable with its DNA replicated (albeit with next to no chance of mutating or evolving) every time the host divides.
—New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025
But from around 1988 to 1995, a number of labs identified a whole series of genes that, when mutated, could actually increase lifespan [in yeast and animals].
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
The slaying of the serpent was a mythological superspreader, mutating and proliferating across the Indo-European world and beyond.
—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mutate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mutate
Verb
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Rather than focusing only on crash performance, safety systems now need to adjust dynamically to changing vehicle states and user behavior.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
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One pro tip is to pack a clean Eclipser Hoody in your pack to change into at the end of a hike for cooling comfort on the drive home.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Individual customers' bills will vary according to their usage rates.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Plus, the amount of each item varies.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As 2025 fades away in the rearview mirror, Americans have quickly shifted their attention toward recent events in Venezuela.—
Stephen Wilder,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
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The company later shifted focus to menstrual health.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mutate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutate. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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