as in crowded
formal
having a large population
a populous seaport the most populous state in the U.S.
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Recent Examples of populous
But in the opening minutes of his first stop at a local restaurant, the president raised debunked claims of voter fraud, talked up his plan to require voters to show identification before casting ballots, and discussed the recent FBI raid of election offices in the state’s most populous county.
—
Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
And India, the world’s most populous country and host of this year’s flagship global AI summit, is making meaningful advances, as are previous hosts France, South Korea, and the UK, as well as techno-democracies like Israel and Japan.
—Jared Cohen, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Analysts say an exodus of billionaires could mean a loss of hundreds of millions of tax dollars for the nation’s most populous state.
—Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
With a footprint in two of the world’s most populous countries, Gu is a sports marketer’s dream.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populous
Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
And India, the world’s most populous country and host of this year’s flagship global AI summit, is making meaningful advances, as are previous hosts France, South Korea, and the UK, as well as techno-democracies like Israel and Japan.
—Jared Cohen, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Analysts say an exodus of billionaires could mean a loss of hundreds of millions of tax dollars for the nation’s most populous state.
—Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
With a footprint in two of the world’s most populous countries, Gu is a sports marketer’s dream.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populous
Adjective
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The gym was so crowded that fans were three-deep on the baselines and children sat cross-legged in front of the bleachers.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Controversy arose in a crowded 2024 Democratic primary in a north Miami-Dade district when the Herald/Times reported that one of the candidates — Wancito Francius — had switched his voter registration from Republican to Democrat too late to qualify for the election.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The restaurant moves beyond the usual clichés of Indian food, offering a dedicated vegetarian tasting menu featuring dishes like a vibrant avocado and mint tart spiked with green chili, and a velvety corn soup with khandvi.—
Nupur Singh,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Feb. 2026
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These vines will trail along buildings, fences, and trellises alike, giving gardens a tropical, vibrant feel.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Populous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populous. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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