infest

verb

in-ˈfest How to pronounce infest (audio)
Definition of infestnext
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 Authorities are investigating after human remains at a Chicago funeral home were allegedly found decaying in an unrefrigerated area infested with rodents. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 Felix Molina has noticed the difference at a local park that used to be rat-infested. — Dave Carlin, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 By the same logic, to write anything at all is to go into the locked room of your potential and realise that the roof is leaking, there’s damp in the walls and the furniture is infested with woodworm. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Luca explained that these patches had been infested by pine bark beetles, notorious evergreen-killers that feed on stressed or weakened conifers. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for infest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infest
  1. plague
  2. infect
  3. overrun
  4. crawl
  5. overwhelm
Verb
  • The research team identified opportunities to improve the atomic layer etching (ALE) approach, which offers significant advantages over the conventional methods but was plagued by difficulties for practical use.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Troubles from the start The groundbreaking attraction, which Six Flags has sunk millions of dollars into, was plagued with problems from the outset.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of plague
Verb
  • One event occurred in 2015 when the mercenary hacker collective Hacking Team used one against a target it had been contracted to infect.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Strong dosages of antimicrobial drugs and aggressive management of brain swelling can help treat someone who has become infected.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of infect
Verb
  • Twelve of them, plus one former jumper, lost their lives in 1949 when the Mann Gulch Fire, in Montana, overran them.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The punchline became a very unfunny one when the Wehrmacht launched its blitzkrieg campaign in May, overrunning Belgium and the Netherlands in a matter of days.
    — David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of overrun
Verb
  • Installation doesn’t require crews to manually crawl along hundreds of miles of line.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The Leao Tires subbrand has a huge range of truck, bus, and tractor tires for everything from daily driving on pavement to slow crawling through muddy farm fields.
    — Michael Febbo, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • But the speed and scale of investment could also overwhelm the institutions needed to manage it.
    — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine possesses substantial counter-drone equipment, but the sheer volume of FPVs has the potential to overwhelm kinetic defenses.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of overwhelm

Browse Nearby Words

infertility
infest
infested
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Cite this Entry

“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infest. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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