Definition of pullulatenext
as in to burst
to be copiously supplied a tough city neighborhood that has a reputation for pullulating with prostitutes and petty criminals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pullulate
Verb
  • But among the regular assortment of items that would burst the seams of your bank account or your apartment’s square footage, this year’s design week featured all sorts of small, excellent objects, and many of them were even affordable.
    Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 23 May 2026
  • Their easy, hedonic seductiveness emerges, too, via Yuskavage’s lush, rounded, fleshy brushstrokes (a different sort of stroke material, for the patriarchy or for anyone else), which render everything from boobs to bellies to nipples smooth and swollen, like a succulent fruit fixing to burst.
    Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Verb
  • Beto was close to unplayable up front, while James Garner and Dewsbury-Hall buzzed around in midfield.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 27 May 2026
  • Other lighthearted events—like a soccer match that pitted young Esperanto speakers against a Brno club team, and an excursion to a local winery—were buzzing as well.
    Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • The tank in greatest crisis was already bulging on Thursday.
    Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
  • Her stomach bulged beneath her I ❤ FLORIDA boatneck and her face was round and waxy-pale.
    Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Pullulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pullulate. Accessed 29 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster