Synonyms of populate

populate

verb

ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt 

as in to inhabit

to supply with inhabitants

a small island populated only by woodland creatures

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inhabit
• people
• colonize
• settle
• move (to)
• relocate (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• depopulate
• unpeople

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of populate

In his campaign, Piper highlighted affordability and the need for county government to be less swayed by the political donations incumbents receive from the lobbyists, vendors and developers that populate Miami-Dade’s donor circuit. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026

His garment is sunlit and he is surrounded by blue sky populated with angels and saints who seem to be in movement, floating on the breezes of the high mountain air. — Artforum, 4 Nov. 2026

As a bonus, watch the fast-growing and heavily populated Dallas suburbs – Collin 47%, Denton 46%, Tarrant 51%. — Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026

The volunteer actors who typically populate the little town weren’t there. — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026