as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 populate
Another concern became the proprietary algorithm that populates what users see on the app.
—
Josh Boak, Twin Cities, 15 Sep. 2025
Against the Dodgers, though, that mentality is not easy to maintain, even for a pitcher who will populate so many Cy Young Award ballots.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
The radical left of the 1960s and ’70s was overwhelmingly populated by college students, many of them affluent, being taught by America’s elite educators.
—Michael Graham, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The department’s computer dispatch system incorrectly auto-populated the address of the caller’s home, prompting officers to respond to the neighbor’s house, according to the statement.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populate
Josh Boak, Twin Cities, 15 Sep. 2025
Against the Dodgers, though, that mentality is not easy to maintain, even for a pitcher who will populate so many Cy Young Award ballots.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
The radical left of the 1960s and ’70s was overwhelmingly populated by college students, many of them affluent, being taught by America’s elite educators.
—Michael Graham, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The department’s computer dispatch system incorrectly auto-populated the address of the caller’s home, prompting officers to respond to the neighbor’s house, according to the statement.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populate
Verb
-
In San Francisco, a development called Hunters View built in 1956 to provide temporary workforce housing was still inhabited and badly deteriorating by the early 2000s.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Once inhabited by some of the city’s wealthiest families, Troost was the target of restrictive covenants in the early 20th century that drew a distinct line of separation.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Diamandis’s network, known to its constituents as the Peterverse, is largely peopled by slim, graying, well-off men who finger their Oura rings like horcruxes.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The mountains are peopled with guides, trail keepers and fellow travelers, as well as those who have died on their treks when the weather turned.—
Sadie Stein,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share