as in inhabiting
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Recent Examples of populating
The plot itself isn’t extraordinary but the critters populating this forest wonderland are, from deer that have the DNA of trees (an enchanting image) to a rainbowed grouper with a dorsal fin (voiced by Cedric the Entertainer).
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
In January, the platform released an album touting its music possibilities, populating the tracklist with an assortment of cloned vocalists, including Liza Minelli.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Russell’s performance gains even more power from all the other great performances that surround it; one of many things Shelton has in common with Peckinpah, as well as Preston Sturges, is a gift for populating his movies with vivid supporting players down to the day players.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
In recent weeks, some Reddit users have also been populating the San Francisco subreddit with photos and videos of Chonkers, sharing updates when the sea lion is on view.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Still, the past decade has seen a string of new-agey boutique hotels populating the seaside town’s western shores, signaling a new awakening for this slice of France’s western coastline.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2026
This story of star-formation is ubiquitous throughout our natural history, with sextillions of stars populating our observable Universe today, with nuclear fusion providing the sustaining energy for most modern stars.
—Big Think, 20 Apr. 2026
People who see ghosts tend to see the same ghost wafting down the same staircase, but none of the characters populating Leo’s wacko hallucinations have returned for a repeat perfor-mance.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
As more spacecraft are slated to start populating this area thanks to private companies launching their own satellites and landers (more on that shortly), resolving how to remain safe in cislunar space is top of mind.
—Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
In January, the platform released an album touting its music possibilities, populating the tracklist with an assortment of cloned vocalists, including Liza Minelli.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Russell’s performance gains even more power from all the other great performances that surround it; one of many things Shelton has in common with Peckinpah, as well as Preston Sturges, is a gift for populating his movies with vivid supporting players down to the day players.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
In recent weeks, some Reddit users have also been populating the San Francisco subreddit with photos and videos of Chonkers, sharing updates when the sea lion is on view.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Still, the past decade has seen a string of new-agey boutique hotels populating the seaside town’s western shores, signaling a new awakening for this slice of France’s western coastline.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2026
This story of star-formation is ubiquitous throughout our natural history, with sextillions of stars populating our observable Universe today, with nuclear fusion providing the sustaining energy for most modern stars.
—Big Think, 20 Apr. 2026
People who see ghosts tend to see the same ghost wafting down the same staircase, but none of the characters populating Leo’s wacko hallucinations have returned for a repeat perfor-mance.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
As more spacecraft are slated to start populating this area thanks to private companies launching their own satellites and landers (more on that shortly), resolving how to remain safe in cislunar space is top of mind.
—Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populating
Verb
-
Talagrand was interested in shapes inhabiting hundreds or billions of dimensions—or even more.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
-
The park is home to around 1,000 black bears and grizzlies, with park officials estimating that about 300 grizzly bears were inhabiting the area in 2023.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Since the founding of SpaceX in 2002, Musk has been talking about colonizing Mars—and, more recently, the moon.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
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With proper care and maintenance, most mosses will double in size in about a year, filling in bare soil and colonizing your garden space all on their own.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Populating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populating. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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