permeate

verb

ˈpər-mē-ˌāt How to pronounce permeate (audio)
Definition of permeatenext
as in to penetrate
to spread throughout the smell of freshly baked bread permeated the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 permeate The smell of rotten eggs permeates communities where large piles of decaying sargassum emit ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. — ABC News, 31 July 2026 Despite being confined to her bed, covered in tubes, tangled in wires, despite being separated by gloves and masks and isolation gowns, our laughter permeated all those barriers. — Anna Tsioulias, STAT, 29 July 2026 In 2025, anxiety permeated Indianapolis as the All-Star Weekend kicked off a contentious period of CBA negotiations. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 26 July 2026 Even as culture permeates up from the internet, being around the corner is important. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for permeate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for permeate
  1. penetrate
  2. suffuse
  3. pervade
Verb
  • The main reason that high-quality asset protection structures are penetrated is because they were misused or disregarded.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Allow the grass to absorb the water, then water again until moisture has penetrated 4 to 6 inches below the soil surface.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of penetrate
Verb
  • After setting her wildly popular debut The Tiger's Wife in a Balkans suffused with myth and magic, the author turned in subsequent books to the Old West and a city redolent of New York.
    — Colin Dwyer, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The threat is still there, suffused into the air like a memory, but for a time the choice between love and survival no longer feels mutually exclusive to Nino and Yasmina.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
Definition of suffuse
Verb
  • On summer days, the sun would unexpectedly become obscured by clouds and a pervading darkness.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • And creature comforts pervaded—from the in-room Chromecast to the plush bed.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
Definition of pervade

Browse Nearby Words

permeable
permeate
permeated
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Permeate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permeate. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on permeate

Nglish: Translation of permeate for Spanish Speakers

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