as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
rumors about the incident proliferated on the Internet
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Recent Examples of proliferate
Recruitment ads have proliferated across TV, radio, print and podcasts directing viewers to an ICE hiring website that portrays immigration as an existential threat.
—
Arkansas Online, 1 Jan. 2026
Curvy Furniture Wavy designs from the likes of Sophia Collé and Gustaf Westman caused a flurry of curvy silhouettes to proliferate interiors.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Guerrilla Tacos — founded as a cart in 2012 before expanding to a truck and an Arts District restaurant — helped proliferate Alta California cuisine with chef and co-owner Wes Avila’s hyper-seasonal tacos and tostadas.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Knowledge of Shaker craft proliferated through a network of mentorship, bringing wider-scale adoption of the communities’ forms.
—Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proliferate
Arkansas Online, 1 Jan. 2026
Curvy Furniture Wavy designs from the likes of Sophia Collé and Gustaf Westman caused a flurry of curvy silhouettes to proliferate interiors.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Guerrilla Tacos — founded as a cart in 2012 before expanding to a truck and an Arts District restaurant — helped proliferate Alta California cuisine with chef and co-owner Wes Avila’s hyper-seasonal tacos and tostadas.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Knowledge of Shaker craft proliferated through a network of mentorship, bringing wider-scale adoption of the communities’ forms.
—Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proliferate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proliferate
Verb
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Winds will also increase, especially at the coast, gusting between 25- 35 mph at times.—
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Future Amazon Leo satellites are expected to orbit at lower altitudes of around 366 miles (590 km), which will further increase their brightness.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Revenues surged, subscriber numbers exploded, and the stock price rose accordingly.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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For now, the SGG is allowed to rise only until her level of ambition or desire becomes societally untenable—then her audience demands punishment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The race to commercialize perovskite technology has accelerated rapidly in recent years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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The transfer portal, which opened Friday, allows programs to accelerate the rebuilding process and replace departing players — more than 20 in Florida’s case.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Jennie headlined Coachella as a solo artist while expanding her fashion ventures.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In recent years, auction houses have expanded their categories as luxury goods and collectibles have helped buoy their sales.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Side effects reported from Adam’s first human trial included mild bruising and swelling from the procedure, though these were minimal and resolved within 24 hours.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Interconnection queues have swelled to historic levels, with gigawatts of ready-to-build generation projects waiting years for grid connection studies and upgrades.—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When a storm knocks out the power, the threat multiplies.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Such a scenario would likely cause unemployment to spike and business closures to multiply, creating a self-reinforcing depression.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Central bank buying remains a cornerstone, with emerging market institutions, particularly in the East, continuing to accumulate reserves.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Across some of the most productive farmland in the United States, a nutrient called phosphorus has been accumulating in the soil for decades, at levels far beyond what crops actually require.—
Dinesh Phuyal,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proliferate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proliferate. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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