1
as in modification
a significant and basic change
The sculpture series underwent several mutations as the artist experimented with different materials and techniques.
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2
as in anomaly
something that is a result of a change in the genes of a plant or animal
This coloration in the bird's plumage is a rare mutation.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mutation
After all, 1 in 400 individuals have a BRCA mutation.
—
Maggie Wickman, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
Darwinian evolution assumes that random mutations happen all the time.
—D. Scott Schmid, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Each year, around two million people worldwide are diagnosed with colorectal cancer – and approximately 15-20% of patients have activating mutations in the PI3K pathway, primarily in the PIK3CA gene.
—New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2025
This evolution is driven by a combination of random mutations and natural selection, where the organisms that are most fit for survival, and most adaptable to the changes that occur in their conditions and environment, are the ones who aren’t selected against, and whose lineages continue.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mutation
Maggie Wickman, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
Darwinian evolution assumes that random mutations happen all the time.
—D. Scott Schmid, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Each year, around two million people worldwide are diagnosed with colorectal cancer – and approximately 15-20% of patients have activating mutations in the PI3K pathway, primarily in the PIK3CA gene.
—New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2025
This evolution is driven by a combination of random mutations and natural selection, where the organisms that are most fit for survival, and most adaptable to the changes that occur in their conditions and environment, are the ones who aren’t selected against, and whose lineages continue.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mutation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mutation
Noun
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The planning commission accepted the recommendation, with a small modification related to how medical clinics are defined in the Land Development Code.—
Killian Baarlaer,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Hers was merely found, picked up and used without modification.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
National Taco Day landing on a Tuesday is no longer an anomaly, thanks to Taco Bell.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Statistical anomaly, then, or something deeper?—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The majority of these alterations occurred within the phylum Bacillota — a gut bacteria group known for digestion and overall gut health.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
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Mattioli reconfigured the apartment’s long and narrow footprint by defining each area through color, lighting, and architectural alterations.—
Wendy Goodman,
Curbed,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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He actually got started in Argentina by helping establish a variation on a currency board in 1991, helped design and impose that construct in Estonia (1992), Lithuania (1994), Bulgaria (1997), and Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997), and later advanced dollarization in Montenegro (1999) and Ecuador (2000).—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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This is a great collection for finding an enormous rug in every taupe variation (perfectly suitable for a lavish outdoor patio or a minimalist living room rug) for $108.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Humphrey and his command staff are working with Effective Law Enforcement For All (ELEFA), the group recently chosen by city officials as the independent monitor to oversee changes promised for the department.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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Part of the reason the league adopted an overtime format then is that the stewards of the game wanted more excitement — the addition of overtime was part of multiple rule changes meant to encourage passing and scoring.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For him, the rarity of the syndrome was the hardest part to process.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
-
West is a rarity as the first star high school quarterback with NHL potential in more than a decade.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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All these services, a total transformation, were offered in one convenient location.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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The country is spending huge amounts on its economic transformation plan, with around $150 billion in contracts awarded in 2024.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The set was available in standard download and streaming editions, a standard CD, a CD variant in premium packaging, and seven vinyl variants (one signed).—
Keith Caulfield,
Billboard,
5 Oct. 2025
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Target has the only retail exclusives, and the only ones that are still currently available, with one vinyl variant and three CDs in stores.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mutation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutation. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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