as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Recent Examples of populate
After the laughter ringing through the room subsides, though, Abela does allow for a moment of reverence — for the HBO drama if not for the disreputable people who populate it.
—
Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
There was no indication that the American linden across the street from Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield was any different than any of the other 270 trees that populate the four-block National Historic Site along Eighth Street.
—Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
The married duo of restaurateur Tracy Vaught and chef Hugo Ortega has made an indelible mark on Space City’s dining scene, populating Houston with Mexican restaurants that each tackle different subgenres of the cuisine.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
Inbred eccentrics and bumbling detectives have populated the seaside villages of Bruno Dumont’s absurdist comedies.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
There was no indication that the American linden across the street from Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield was any different than any of the other 270 trees that populate the four-block National Historic Site along Eighth Street.
—Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
The married duo of restaurateur Tracy Vaught and chef Hugo Ortega has made an indelible mark on Space City’s dining scene, populating Houston with Mexican restaurants that each tackle different subgenres of the cuisine.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
Inbred eccentrics and bumbling detectives have populated the seaside villages of Bruno Dumont’s absurdist comedies.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populate
Verb
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The Tohono O’odham had inhabited its land for hundreds of years before Mexico, through the 1854 Gadsden Purchase, ceded some of it to the United States.—
Geraldo L. Cadava,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
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Butterflies belonging to the Heliconius genus, which inhabit the tropical rainforests of South and Central America, have lifespans that vary wildly.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Today, this part of the South Side seems to be almost entirely peopled by Black families.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
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Ishaq has made a film peopled with women and boys who go beyond simple archetypes, setting joyful female solidarity against omnipresent conflict in a way designed to communicate with a broad demographic.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populate. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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