proliferate

verb

prə-ˈli-fə-ˌrāt How to pronounce proliferate (audio)
Definition of proliferatenext
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number rumors about the incident proliferated on the Internet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 proliferate The network is proliferated, with thousands of satellites interconnected using laser communications links and numerous ground stations to connect the constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO) with the terrestrial Internet. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026 As private schools proliferate in Florida and across the country, fueled by taxpayer dollars, states are choosing not to closely regulate who is operating them or to oversee student safety and achievement, a ProPublica investigation found. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026 Social media has been flooded with posts from users in Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Peru questioning refereeing decisions or expressing disapproval of Argentina, while messages mocking rival teams also proliferated from Argentine accounts. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 Such impostor scams, when a criminal pretends to be a legitimate business or even a government official, are proliferating and morphing at an accelerated rate as artificial intelligence makes impersonation easier than ever. — Bill Lukitsch, Boston Herald, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for proliferate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proliferate
  1. increase
  2. rise
  3. accelerate
  4. expand
  5. swell
  6. multiply
  7. accumulate
Verb
  • The airport says arrivals to Denver are also delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing due to the weather.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Earlier this year, Republicans had hoped to campaign on falling rates and a bipartisan bill to increase home construction to help defend their House and Senate majorities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • As tensions rise with the Sacramento County Office of Education, Sacramento City Unified is pressing ahead with a new fiscal sustainability plan aimed at avoiding insolvency and preserving local control.
    — Chaewon Chung July 30, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
  • Ajanel is now a rising junior at Dalton State College pursuing a career in nursing.
    — Nila Roper, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • While PennDOT already has created over 30 wildlife crossings, the establishment of the new cohesive group of state agency stakeholders is likely to accelerate building the safe animal passageways and reverse the high collision rate with motorists.
    — Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Campbell said some people use BPC-157 in combination with another peptide known as TB-500 to accelerate healing.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • In the mid-1960s, the festival expanded from an intimate get-together among church members to a cultural exchange for the greater Sacramento community.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • San Gregorio State Beach is now roughly twice its size after expanding into the formerly private ranch, San Gregorio Ranch.
    — Sooji Nam, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of expand
Verb
  • As passengers chanted the incantation together, white light flashed through the carriage, and music swelled from the speakers.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Wasp activity starts to ramp up in late summer and fall as colony sizes swell.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 29 July 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • Players can also add Power Play for an extra $1, which can multiply non-jackpot winnings by up to 10 times.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 26 July 2026
  • But Imax can't quickly multiply screening counts to meet the surge of interest.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 July 2026
Definition of multiply
Verb
  • The holiday standard has accumulated 22 weeks in first place, though that total has been spread across seven years.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • When the question is accumulated knowledge with years of safety and efficacy data, refined dosing, and better patient selection, sponsors are told that information doesn’t go the other way.
    — Kat Bryant Knudson, STAT, 31 July 2026
Definition of accumulate

Browse Nearby Words

proletariat
proliferate
proliferated
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Cite this Entry

“Proliferate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proliferate. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on proliferate

Nglish: Translation of proliferate for Spanish Speakers

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