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 Unfortunately, the region was infested with pirates and evil spirits. H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 5 July 2025 People responded generously after reading eight Wish List stories, which included a Covington mother of three in need of reliable transportation and Cincinnati man forced to toss all his belongings after his apartment became infested with bedbugs. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 Aphids present in the garden can infest plants but are easily managed with horticultural sprays or a heavy stream of water. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 July 2025 At a time when division is high and negativity seems to be infesting every corner of people’s day-to-day lives, Lake Street Dive have instead chosen to go down a path of positivity. Dave Gil De Rubio, Oc Register, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for infest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infest
Verb
  • Mohammad Omar had been plagued with medical problems since birth.
    Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
  • That’s the kind of problem that leads to the rodent Rose Parade that’s plagued other restaurants on this street.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 21 July 2025
Verb
  • On July 22, the hospital confirmed the patient died from the infection A child in South Carolina has died after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, state health officials confirmed.
    Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 23 July 2025
  • In a study published July 22 in Nature Communications, researchers report that living through the pandemic aged our brains—whether or not you were infected with COVID-19.
    Alice Park, Time, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • Other Bench residents, social media users and the Idaho Humane Society have said that the neighborhood is overrun with rabbits.
    Alex Music July 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2025
  • We’re overrun by leaders who are psychopaths or sociopaths (people who disregard social norms and the rights of others).
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
Verb
  • Insects and other pests like rodents can easily crawl inside and make themselves at home.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
  • This remains a place where crabs crawl out of the water at sunset, stingrays swim around surfers in the Pacific, and languidly smiling sloths—the national mascot—remind us all to slow down.
    Laura Dannen Redman, AFAR Media, 16 July 2025
Verb
  • In greater numbers than ever, children hollowed up by hunger are overwhelming the Patient’s Friends Hospital, the main emergency center for malnourished kids in northern Gaza.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
  • With no hemming required, each one of these matching sets won’t drag on the floor or overwhelm your small frame.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infest. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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