as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Recent Examples of populate
The administration may be populated with sycophants and true believers, but Justice Department attorneys and Homeland Security officials are not stupid.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025
Like many urban areas, that population is densely populated.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
In fact, the company was the first this week to populate its presentation with more suits than actors.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Whereas as most games in the series bounce between Mars-adjacent space stations, Earth, and various dimensions that constitute takes on heaven and hell, The Dark Ages is set in another realm, populated by humans at war with demonic forces.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for populate
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025
Like many urban areas, that population is densely populated.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
In fact, the company was the first this week to populate its presentation with more suits than actors.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Whereas as most games in the series bounce between Mars-adjacent space stations, Earth, and various dimensions that constitute takes on heaven and hell, The Dark Ages is set in another realm, populated by humans at war with demonic forces.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for populate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populate
Verb
-
As the novel goes on, the more brutal a character’s conditions are, the more carefully Choi writes them, forcing readers to slow down and inhabit them.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2025
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With the help of vampire-biochemist Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode), Diana sets about solving the book's mysteries while avoiding attacks from angry spirits and monsters that inhabit the pages.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Sure, your team is still peopled with the same flawed human beings, still maddeningly inconsistent and impossible to predict.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
-
Louis is the kind of polarizing character who people either really loved or loved to hate.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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