teem with

verb

teemed with; teeming with; teems with

: to be full of (life and activity) : to have many (people or animals) moving around inside

The river teems with fish.

—usually used as (be) teeming with

The river was teeming with fish.

streets teeming with shoppers

—sometimes used figuratively

My mind is teeming with ideas.

Examples of teem with in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Rioters clashed with police, looted stores and set property on fire in central Milan on Saturday, emptying Piazza del Duomo and a luxury shopping arcade when the area would usually be teeming with shoppers. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 Castle Town bustled more than ever, teeming with banners, flowers and colorful citizenry. — James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026 The park was teeming with refugees—hundreds of people living in makeshift tents, mostly tarps draped over ropes between trees. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The state, which is teeming with black-market dairies, did little to punish the farmer who sold the families the milk. — Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for teem with

Browse Nearby Words

teemless

teem with

teem with rain

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Teem with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teem%20with. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

teem with

verb

Examples of teem with in a Sentence

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes