as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
believes that someday humans will be sent to colonize Mars
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Recent Examples of colonize
The plant colonizes quickly to serve as a dense, weed-free ground cover in areas where invasiveness is not a concern.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
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
From the fungus, the plant accepts scarce nitrogen and phosphorus that its own roots struggle to reach; the fungus takes the plant’s carbon to further grow and colonize the soil.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Imagine crossing thousands of miles of open ocean — no rest stops, no landmarks — and somehow colonizing a remote archipelago to start entirely new lineages.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonize
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
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
From the fungus, the plant accepts scarce nitrogen and phosphorus that its own roots struggle to reach; the fungus takes the plant’s carbon to further grow and colonize the soil.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Imagine crossing thousands of miles of open ocean — no rest stops, no landmarks — and somehow colonizing a remote archipelago to start entirely new lineages.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonize
Verb
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The effect is less about measurable temperature reduction and more about cultivating a breathable, moderated atmosphere—one that feels softer against the skin and easier to inhabit through long summer days.—
Nolan Lewis,
Architectural Digest,
27 Apr. 2026
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Over pinwheeling synths, Mahesh inhabits her narrator’s misplaced longing with gooey, heart-eyed delusion and sweetly pathetic determination.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In particular, the center group remains populated with considerable talent.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Hypocrisy, not rail spindles or dog poop, is top of the play’s agenda, and to poke around that subject the playwright has peopled his work with a collection of character types.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
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The characters who people the novel rise to speak for themselves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonize. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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