as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Recent Examples of populate
Unlike holes in the wall populated primarily by regulars, Whistle Stop can welcome hundreds of first-timers around Colts games or major conventions.
—
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 7 Nov. 2025
Concept art of the Disney/Fortnite video game interface released in 2024 looked like a theme park with multiple Disney castles at a gleaming central hub surrounded by at least eight islands populated with visual nods to familiar Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox brands, films and shows.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Nov. 2025
In the early 18th century, Spain sent Canary Islanders to the New World to help populate what is now Texas.
—Raul A. Reyes, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Each of the first three hours that premiered Tuesday combine a case of the week — populated by impressively recognizable faces like Judith Light, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, Jessica Simpson and Rick Springfield — with ongoing concerns about the main characters’ love lives.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populate
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 7 Nov. 2025
Concept art of the Disney/Fortnite video game interface released in 2024 looked like a theme park with multiple Disney castles at a gleaming central hub surrounded by at least eight islands populated with visual nods to familiar Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox brands, films and shows.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Nov. 2025
In the early 18th century, Spain sent Canary Islanders to the New World to help populate what is now Texas.
—Raul A. Reyes, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Each of the first three hours that premiered Tuesday combine a case of the week — populated by impressively recognizable faces like Judith Light, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, Jessica Simpson and Rick Springfield — with ongoing concerns about the main characters’ love lives.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populate
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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 29 Nov. 2025.
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