as in plagued
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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Recent Examples of infested
Houseplants that are already wilting, suffering from root rot, or infested with pests shouldn't be watered with rice water, notes Harryson.
—
Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
The calf was probably too young to have been shipped from farther south, raising the likelihood that it had been infested by an adult screwworm in Tamaulipas.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
The Greenland situation reminds me of a story about a bunch of South American cowboys pushing a herd toward a creek known to be infested with piranhas.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
The tiny hayloft would later become infested with lice and vermin.
—Edie Kasten, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Typically, these pests get into our homes by purchasing products that were infested at the store, warehouse or production facility.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
If trees are lightly or not-yet infested, they can be sprayed or injected with insecticides.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
It was also infested with hookworms, according to the report.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Housing advocates were beating the drum over tenant protections, lamenting a lack of enforcement from city regulators as residents lived in buildings without heat and hot water, or their units were infested with cockroaches and bed bugs.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
The calf was probably too young to have been shipped from farther south, raising the likelihood that it had been infested by an adult screwworm in Tamaulipas.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
The Greenland situation reminds me of a story about a bunch of South American cowboys pushing a herd toward a creek known to be infested with piranhas.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
The tiny hayloft would later become infested with lice and vermin.
—Edie Kasten, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Typically, these pests get into our homes by purchasing products that were infested at the store, warehouse or production facility.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
If trees are lightly or not-yet infested, they can be sprayed or injected with insecticides.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
It was also infested with hookworms, according to the report.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Housing advocates were beating the drum over tenant protections, lamenting a lack of enforcement from city regulators as residents lived in buildings without heat and hot water, or their units were infested with cockroaches and bed bugs.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infested
Verb
-
Staffing shortages have plagued the grocery industry since the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Exploding power lines evoked the electrical outages that have plagued Puerto Rico in recent years.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The vaccination status of those infected is not disclosed.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Each year in Norway, about 2% of babies infected with RSV are admitted to the hospital.—
Ariana Hendrix,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One live roach crawled on the floor in front of a storage rack with seasoning and cans.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This administration hasn't necessarily overwhelmed the health-care experts with good news.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Alex Andrews added 12 points and the Cougars overwhelmed the Aztecs inside with Miles, Jacob Allen and Trevor Zenno.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infested. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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