as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
rumors about the incident proliferated on the Internet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of proliferate
Rather, those little, unseen gremlins just proliferate in silence.
—
Malana Vantyler,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
The miners, who come from across eastern Congo, are highly mobile — yet another reason that Ebola has proliferated so quickly.
—
Emmet Livingstone,
NPR,
24 June 2026
And fortunately, the options for cute and comfy shoes have proliferated.
—
Cheryl Wagemann,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
Across the Pennsylvania border, the signs began to proliferate.
—
Christopher Hooks,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for proliferate
Malana Vantyler,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
The miners, who come from across eastern Congo, are highly mobile — yet another reason that Ebola has proliferated so quickly.
—
Emmet Livingstone,
NPR,
24 June 2026
And fortunately, the options for cute and comfy shoes have proliferated.
—
Cheryl Wagemann,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
Across the Pennsylvania border, the signs began to proliferate.
—
Christopher Hooks,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for proliferate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proliferate
Verb
-
The rent on our apartment has increased by about 70% over the past six years.
-
Angels reliever Ryan Zeferjahn (4-3) struck out two in a scoreless seventh to earn the win and increase his hitless streak to 10 innings, with 19 strikeouts, over his last nine appearances.
Verb
-
Why the at-home mani pedi trend is growing Three forces are driving the shift, including DIY beauty habits that stuck after the pandemic, the rising price of salon services and a steady stream of social tutorials that make at-home nails feel achievable.
-
Estate sales are also a source, though Miranda-Martin feels the rising popularity of these sales in Los Angeles has led to an increase in pricing.
Verb
-
Co-founder and tour guide Hannah Michelle Brower says the tour will be a historical journey exploring passenger pigeons and the Lenape people, as well as looking at how the arrival of European colonizers accelerated commercial exploitation and ultimately contributed to the extinction of the bird.
-
Over time, this can increase electrical resistance, generate excess heat, and accelerate battery degradation.
Verb
-
Love’s Travel Stops just expanded its service offerings for RVs, including light maintenance, battery replacement and tire replacement.
-
California's new personal finance graduation requirement The lessons come as California prepares to expand financial education statewide.
Verb
-
Sense of place The river — which swells with spring snowmelt — and surrounding wilderness give the property a strong sense of place.
-
Symptoms can be mild to severe and range from nausea, itching, abdominal pain, swelling of the lips to life-threatening symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Verb
-
Influence will increasingly come from the ability to use AI well, redesign workflows and multiply output, rather than from seniority alone.
-
That payoff helps explain why drop-in formats keep multiplying across cities.
Verb
-
The military held a similar security strip from 1985 until 2000, before withdrawing after years of steady casualties, a toll that is accumulating once again.
-
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.
Cite this Entry
“Proliferate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proliferate. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
