as in inhabiting
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Recent Examples of populating
That may be a key factor in populating a third useful line for the postseason.
—
Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Created by procedural mega-producer Dick Wolf, Chicago Med follows the medical personnel populating a bustling emergency room in a fictional Chicago hospital.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Perhaps the thought of former pros populating college sports and taking spots away animates Congress to act, but the track record isn’t promising.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Leonardo DiCaprio came pre-attached to the project, but Kulukundis was responsible for populating the various worlds around him.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2026
Suddenly, most of the major groups of animals alive today — including vertebrates which would eventually include humans — evolved and started populating the world's oceans.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Companies exist that can help in establishing, populating, and reviewing the data room, such as Stella Legal.
—Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
That sets it apart from the myriad space operas populating big-budget TV in recent years; the relationships are the real substance of the show, the interstellar adventures are the dessert.
—Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Want to get a closer look at the diverse menagerie of worlds populating our solar system?
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Created by procedural mega-producer Dick Wolf, Chicago Med follows the medical personnel populating a bustling emergency room in a fictional Chicago hospital.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Perhaps the thought of former pros populating college sports and taking spots away animates Congress to act, but the track record isn’t promising.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Leonardo DiCaprio came pre-attached to the project, but Kulukundis was responsible for populating the various worlds around him.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2026
Suddenly, most of the major groups of animals alive today — including vertebrates which would eventually include humans — evolved and started populating the world's oceans.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Companies exist that can help in establishing, populating, and reviewing the data room, such as Stella Legal.
—Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
That sets it apart from the myriad space operas populating big-budget TV in recent years; the relationships are the real substance of the show, the interstellar adventures are the dessert.
—Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Want to get a closer look at the diverse menagerie of worlds populating our solar system?
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populating
Verb
-
Others are adopted into privileged spaces, only to remain marked as Other, inhabiting shared environments without ever receiving full acceptance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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Kelly’s mid-30s John drifts through life, straining against his mother Jackie Onassis’s expectations while inhabiting a world that’s so clearly his own personal oyster farm.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The mega-rocket’s next liftoff could happen as soon as March, according to Elon Musk, who recently said his commercial space firm has shifted its focus from colonizing Mars to first setting up a base on the moon.—
Brandon Lingle,
San Antonio Express-News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Musk has regularly expressed his ambitions in space travel, previously suggesting colonizing Mars.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Populating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populating. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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