proliferated

verb

past tense of proliferate
as in increased
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number rumors about the incident proliferated on the Internet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 South Dakota has small data centers but none of the large centers, known as hyper-scale, that have proliferated elsewhere. — Des Moines Register, States Newsroom, 3 Sep. 2026 In that conventional view, the International Style (a term MoMA introduced in 1932) proliferated as an instrument of the Cold War, adjusting to local preferences but always faithful to its Franco-German origins. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026 Indeed, fragrance launches have proliferated since the category’s unprecedented post-COVID-19 boom, as have channels. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 Since the outbreak of the Iran war, in late February, the opportunities for new foreign investment in Syria have proliferated. — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026 As modern prisons proliferated across the nation, major cities exported prisoners to state prisons in less populated areas. — Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 The term Pretendian hunter has proliferated online in reference to groups like TAAF. — Tommy Orange, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 Italian scientists have released 130,000 common octopuses (and counting) to fight blue crabs that have proliferated in parts of the Mediterranean, to the detriment of local species. — Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2026 The legal tussle comes as prediction markets have proliferated in the United States over the past two years. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proliferated
  1. increased
  2. swelled
  3. accelerated
  4. expanded
  5. rose
  6. multiplied
Verb
  • Additionally, writing longer, more detailed descriptions of concerns (over 100 words) significantly increased response rates.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Overall, the budget increased by $720,000 since September 2025, Korfanta said.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of increased
Verb
  • In a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized Oracle for a contract that has now swelled to $27 billion.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But the administration, led by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, has pushed ahead, recruiting bankers to help wield a loan authority that has swelled from $1 billion to $200 billion thanks to the recent Republican party-line tax bill.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of swelled
Verb
  • China accelerated its domestic chipmaking efforts after Washington tightened restrictions on Huawei Technologies in 2020, cutting the company off from TSMC.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Prince was able to free the ATV and accelerated toward the deputy, striking him and knocking him to the ground.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of accelerated
Verb
  • Chinese manufacturers have expanded from areas including etching and deposition into ion implantation, inspection and metrology, according to Goldman.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • His father, Charles, had expanded the New Jersey real estate development business his grandfather, a Polish Holocaust survivor, had begun after starting out as a construction laborer.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of expanded
Verb
  • Japan’s 10-year yield reached its highest level since August 1996, while Germany’s benchmark yield rose to a 2011 high.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The Colorado River also rose briefly just upstream from where Bright Angel Creek empties into the river, in response to the sudden influx of water, according to the river gauge on the geologic survey, but quickly adjusted.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rose
Verb
  • Inside one, the individual is both multiplied and diminished.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The mirrors multiplied the objects—and the viewer—seemingly without end.
    — Tessa Solomon for ARTnews, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of multiplied

Browse Nearby Words

proliferate
proliferated
proliferates
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Cite this Entry

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

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