as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 populate
That sets it apart from the myriad space operas populating big-budget TV in recent years; the relationships are the real substance of the show, the interstellar adventures are the dessert.
—
Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Visitors can make their way between a dazzling planetarium, an aquarium with live coral reefs, a natural history museum, and even an indoor rainforest dome populated by hundreds of tropical birds and butterflies.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026
The map itself can’t capture the changing views of the people who populate it.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Pictures of Justin Bieber populate the church’s Instagram feed, soundtracked by more Justin Bieber songs.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Visitors can make their way between a dazzling planetarium, an aquarium with live coral reefs, a natural history museum, and even an indoor rainforest dome populated by hundreds of tropical birds and butterflies.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026
The map itself can’t capture the changing views of the people who populate it.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Pictures of Justin Bieber populate the church’s Instagram feed, soundtracked by more Justin Bieber songs.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populate
Verb
-
Any of these entry points can become the path for ants, spiders, and rodents to inhabit the indoor space.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The music video is a single shot of Welch in the back of a car, singing along in a suit, sporting shades and a cigar, both mocking and inhabiting the position of male dominance.—
Grace Byron,
New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Throughout Humphreys County and Hickman County, peopled gathered with their churches for support and comfort in the days after the tragedy.—
Beth Warren,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The Master is the greatest of them all, a movie peopled by characters who are at once intensely human and also the stuff of otherworldly fables.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populate. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share