as in increased
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 proliferated
The scams proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when casinos, many already engaged in the gray-area activity of online gambling, no longer had in-person customers and turned to online scams on an industrial scale.
—
ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
With all the data that has proliferated across the game, baseball can seem overly complex at times.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
As versions of the lonely runner problem proliferated throughout mathematics, interest in the question grew.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
The album’s calmer passages feel like a more complete version of the leisurely pedal steel ambient that’s proliferated in recent years—surging with too much emotion for the strings to contain, too much atmosphere to fit on a postcard.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2026
The late-afternoon pastry and banana-bread mocha latte have proliferated—and for humans, at least, may become an existential threat to dinner.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Dumpling restaurants have proliferated around Denver over the last few years.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
Glowing testimonials about home deliveries have also proliferated on social media.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
That includes fixing 3-K, which has struggled to attract families in some neighborhoods — even as waitlists have proliferated in other areas of the city.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
With all the data that has proliferated across the game, baseball can seem overly complex at times.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
As versions of the lonely runner problem proliferated throughout mathematics, interest in the question grew.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
The album’s calmer passages feel like a more complete version of the leisurely pedal steel ambient that’s proliferated in recent years—surging with too much emotion for the strings to contain, too much atmosphere to fit on a postcard.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2026
The late-afternoon pastry and banana-bread mocha latte have proliferated—and for humans, at least, may become an existential threat to dinner.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Dumpling restaurants have proliferated around Denver over the last few years.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
Glowing testimonials about home deliveries have also proliferated on social media.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
That includes fixing 3-K, which has struggled to attract families in some neighborhoods — even as waitlists have proliferated in other areas of the city.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proliferated
Verb
-
Claude’s daily active users have also increased by more than 140% since January, according to data from SimilarWeb.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
-
In a decade, spending on street outreach increased by more than 1,000% — now exceeding $300 million a year — while unsheltered homelessness increased by 22%.—
Barbara A. Blair,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Moisture swelled the film, allowing more oxygen to sneak through.—
J. Carson Meredith,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The score from The Princess Bride swelled as Reiner’s onetime (or sometimes multiple-time) actors turned to face him and pay their final respects.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Each time, the UAE absorbed the shock, adapted, and accelerated.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
BlockFills then began working with an existing investor on a plan to recapitalize the company, but that came crashing down in February as cryptocurrency valuation declines accelerated.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
It had been renamed and expanded in size roughly a year ago from a previously existing treatment facility as part of the Taliban government's efforts to stamp out a significant drug addiction problem in the country.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Pho Foodie, a Vietnamese restaurant that’s currently in Bowie, expanded to North Laurel with a March 1 soft opening, giving Route 1 a new carryout option.—
Marissa Yelenik,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cleveland rose from mayor of Buffalo to governor of New York to the White House in a few years.—
Jacob Lane The Chicago Tribune,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
That death toll rose this past week.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Customers’ bills are structured through a per therm rate multiplied by the number of therms used, according to NIPSCO.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Jurors then multiplied that number by the total numbers of residential and commercial subscribers.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proliferated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proliferated. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
