as in plagued
to spread or swarm over in a troublesome manner
in desperation, we called in an exterminator because the house was infested with ants
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Recent Examples of infested
Back in December, agents also seized four pounds of non-human primate meat, along with 11 pounds of beans infested by pests, and 17 pounds of an unknown plant from a passenger from Congo.
—
Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Last year, the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture cut down 30% of the nursery’s citrus trees on concerns they were infested with Asian citrus psyllid, a sap-sucking bug that transmits a devastating citrus disease.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Caution arose due to props falling on crew members, as well as black mold that infested a shooting location, Deadline reported.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
Deadline also understands that the production required a location change after crew pushed back on the use of a space that was infested with black mold.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Anyone who believes they may be infested with screwworm should contact their health provider.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Workers described living in overcrowded containers infested with cockroaches and bedbugs, with access to only one or two showers per year and in some cases just a single day off annually.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Allegations of betting on suicide Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings, the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects.
—Morgan Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Last year, the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture cut down 30% of the nursery’s citrus trees on concerns they were infested with Asian citrus psyllid, a sap-sucking bug that transmits a devastating citrus disease.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Caution arose due to props falling on crew members, as well as black mold that infested a shooting location, Deadline reported.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
Deadline also understands that the production required a location change after crew pushed back on the use of a space that was infested with black mold.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Anyone who believes they may be infested with screwworm should contact their health provider.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Workers described living in overcrowded containers infested with cockroaches and bedbugs, with access to only one or two showers per year and in some cases just a single day off annually.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Allegations of betting on suicide Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings, the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects.
—Morgan Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infested
Verb
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Corruption cases reminiscent of the scandals that plagued the political elite that Milei vowed to overthrow have added to his challenges, with his close ally and chief of staff, Manuel Adorni, now under investigation for the misuse of public funds.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Despite the child molestation claims that plagued Jackson for decades, his fans have demonstrated a number of times that the answer is yes.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All deliver explicit pornography and, in at least one case, a scam site falsely claiming a visitor’s computer is infected and advising the visitor to pay a fee for the non-existent malware to be removed.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
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During the 2023-24 flu season, for every 100,00 people over 65 infected with the flu, 32 died and 400 were hospitalized; similarly, for every 100,000 adults of military age, two died and 65 were hospitalized.—
Paul Friedrichs,
STAT,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The attendant and one of the passengers worked together at prying open the baggage compartment door while the other passenger crawled around the floor, searching in the thick smoke for a cellphone to try to use as a flashlight, according to the statement transcripts.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Two roaches crawled on a rice bin.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lauersdorf said in a text message he was overwhelmed by the community support from friends, neighbors and complete strangers.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
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But the measure backfired when municipalities’ collection sites were overwhelmed, leading to stockpiles of unused textiles, and the government reversed part of the rule in October.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infested. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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