Thesaurus results for INFEST

infest

verb

in-ˈfest

Definition of infest

as in to plague

to spread or swarm over in a troublesome manner in desperation, we called in an exterminator because the house was infested with ants

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 infest Despite those efforts, New World screwworm infested thousands of animals in Panama and Mexico, and in June, the US Department of Agriculture confirmed the first US cases in years. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026 Otherwise, the flour could go stale in a few months or become infested by bugs in the pantry. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2026 Inspectors noted a rice bucket was heavily infested with roaches. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026 The inspection followed a hunger strike by detainees, who in a letter, complained about rotten or worm-infested food, medical neglect, and being coerced into signing deportation orders. — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for infest

Recent Examples of Synonyms for infest

Verb

As people suffer the effects of disease, the vampire rises to plague our nightmares.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Based on its survey work, Morgan Stanley believes the issues that plagued the second quarter was macro related and not something structurally tied to the TJX brand.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of plague

Verb

Finally, pneumonic plague occurs when the bacterium infects the lungs—typically through inhalation of infectious droplets rather than flea bites.

— Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
State officials in August announced that two unvaccinated residents died after being infected with measles.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of infect

Verb

Ants line up and overrun a picnic through smelling a neighbor’s pheromones with their tiny antennae.

— Michael Morris, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Five people were killed when the Boeing 767, operated by all-cargo carrier 21Air, overran the runway at Miami International Airport on September 6, striking multiple vehicles, catching fire and sending a thick black plume of smoke into the air.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of overrun

Verb

Researchers have developed a paper-thin foot membrane that lets crawling microrobots harvest electricity directly from the ground beneath them, ditching heavy onboard batteries by turning metal and silicon surfaces into an active power source.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
In real-world tests, the hand crawled across 14 different surfaces including smooth floors, metal grates, grass, and gravel.

— Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of crawl

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infertility

infest

infested

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“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infest. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of infest

verb

Example Sentences

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