as in inhabiting
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Recent Examples of populating
The song just came to me, from somewhere, populating seamlessly in a stream of consciousness.
—
Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
His victim, in her unassailable purity, resists him, thereby proving that the arrivistes populating the ranks of England’s most upwardly mobile class had a moral edge over the nobility.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
That’s a risk for some artists, but Kehlani proved the potency of her latest by populating her set with newbies.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 1 June 2026
Among a slew of criminals and gangsters populating Paramount Plus’ streaming catalog, Mobland has stood out as a hit.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
The plot itself isn’t extraordinary but the critters populating this forest wonderland are, from deer that have the DNA of trees (an enchanting image) to a rainbowed grouper with a dorsal fin (voiced by Cedric the Entertainer).
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
In January, the platform released an album touting its music possibilities, populating the tracklist with an assortment of cloned vocalists, including Liza Minelli.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Russell’s performance gains even more power from all the other great performances that surround it; one of many things Shelton has in common with Peckinpah, as well as Preston Sturges, is a gift for populating his movies with vivid supporting players down to the day players.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
In recent weeks, some Reddit users have also been populating the San Francisco subreddit with photos and videos of Chonkers, sharing updates when the sea lion is on view.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
His victim, in her unassailable purity, resists him, thereby proving that the arrivistes populating the ranks of England’s most upwardly mobile class had a moral edge over the nobility.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
That’s a risk for some artists, but Kehlani proved the potency of her latest by populating her set with newbies.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 1 June 2026
Among a slew of criminals and gangsters populating Paramount Plus’ streaming catalog, Mobland has stood out as a hit.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
The plot itself isn’t extraordinary but the critters populating this forest wonderland are, from deer that have the DNA of trees (an enchanting image) to a rainbowed grouper with a dorsal fin (voiced by Cedric the Entertainer).
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
In January, the platform released an album touting its music possibilities, populating the tracklist with an assortment of cloned vocalists, including Liza Minelli.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Russell’s performance gains even more power from all the other great performances that surround it; one of many things Shelton has in common with Peckinpah, as well as Preston Sturges, is a gift for populating his movies with vivid supporting players down to the day players.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
In recent weeks, some Reddit users have also been populating the San Francisco subreddit with photos and videos of Chonkers, sharing updates when the sea lion is on view.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populating
Verb
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That instinct now finds a new register in her acting debut in Margo’s Got Money Troubles on Apple TV, where performance becomes less about presence on a stage and more about inhabiting a world that continues to exist long after the cameras stop rolling.—
Desjah Altvater,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
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Yellowjackets build a paper nest in a cavity or underground, often inhabiting a rodent hole or hiding the nest under a bush or a brush pile.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Neither the French nor the Spanish ever invested significantly in colonizing the land west of the upper Mississippi, and Americans were champing at the bit.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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So expect some commentary from me in the coming weeks about the feasibility of lunar mass drivers, putting hundreds of GW worth of data centers in orbit, colonizing Mars and more.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Populating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populating. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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