as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of populate
Checkmate has a storied history in the DC Comics, first appearing in 1988 and populated mostly with DC’s anti-heroes; Peacemaker and Vigilante were early members, and Bordeaux has also been a prominent operative.
—
Adam B. Vary, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
To be fair, most Canadian markets populate players’ no-trade lists, but now Connor is staying in Winnipeg, Mark Scheifele stayed and Connor Hellebuyck stayed.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Other than Costner, the show was largely populated with relatively unknown actors — Costner was clearly the big fish in this smallish pond.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, the women who populated our world view included Madonna, Sinead O’Connor, Whitney Houston, the Facts of Life women and Oprah.
—Glynnis MacNicol, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populate
Adam B. Vary, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
To be fair, most Canadian markets populate players’ no-trade lists, but now Connor is staying in Winnipeg, Mark Scheifele stayed and Connor Hellebuyck stayed.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Other than Costner, the show was largely populated with relatively unknown actors — Costner was clearly the big fish in this smallish pond.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, the women who populated our world view included Madonna, Sinead O’Connor, Whitney Houston, the Facts of Life women and Oprah.
—Glynnis MacNicol, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populate
Verb
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If time allows, add Museum of the American Revolution (Washington’s original field tent is the star), the Betsy Ross House, where the famed seamstress designed the American flag, and cobblestoned Elfreth’s Alley, the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street, to your agenda.—
Regan Stephens,
AFAR Media,
14 Oct. 2025
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But inhabiting this patchwork outcast has sparked a creative resurgence (and rave reviews) for the 28-year-old Australian star, plus some real Oscar buzz.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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Diamandis’s network, known to its constituents as the Peterverse, is largely peopled by slim, graying, well-off men who finger their Oura rings like horcruxes.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populate. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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