as in plaguing
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
Relevance
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 infesting
The moths infesting a pantry are not the same as moths hiding in your closet.
—
Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
Spotted lanternflies have been infesting parts of the East Coast.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 16 Oct. 2025
Quagga mussels and golden mussels, fingernail-sized invaders infesting California waterways, clog the water pumps and pipes responsible for distributing water to millions of people and vast stretches of farmland.
—Pam Marrone, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Aphids and Spider Mites These tiny, sap-sucking insects become more active in the fall, infesting flowering and fruiting plants.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
Spotted lanternflies have been infesting parts of the East Coast.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 16 Oct. 2025
Quagga mussels and golden mussels, fingernail-sized invaders infesting California waterways, clog the water pumps and pipes responsible for distributing water to millions of people and vast stretches of farmland.
—Pam Marrone, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Aphids and Spider Mites These tiny, sap-sucking insects become more active in the fall, infesting flowering and fruiting plants.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infesting
Verb
-
By the middle of the summer, YLO should be prepared to work out a more systematic offensive against the injustices plaguing the Latin colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Another reality plaguing the AI industry is the extremely high cost of energy in Europe.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Until Isaacman’s program makeover, Artemis III was crawling toward a moon landing no sooner than 2029.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
One provider recommended a different formula, but Laura responded that her son was burning calories by kicking in his bed, crawling and wheeling around in his wheelchair.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The duo’s follow-up project Los Frikis, a drama based on true events about group of punk rockers in ’90s Cuba who cultivate a utopian refuge from society after deliberately infecting themselves with HIV, was similarly lauded.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
-
To pursue that work, Sassetti’s NIH grant paid for collecting blood samples from people in Lima, Peru — who carry a unique immune gene — and then infecting their cells with TB in the lab.—
Megan Molteni,
STAT,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the fifth, Byron Buxton hit a double and was tagged out after overrunning the base.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
-
His issues overrunning plays feel like ages ago.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infesting. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
