as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
believes that someday humans will be sent to colonize Mars
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of colonize
So Salinas naturally wondered how the brains in her study had been colonized.
—
Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025
Races ensue to stop him from colonizing both her and Wisborg, where eventually the streets are paved with rats.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
By the time Dreyfus arrived, the trio of islands off the coast of French Guiana, part of the territory that France colonized in the 1640s, had long been collectively known as Devil’s Island.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024
Set in the future with humanity colonizing the Solar System, the resources across the various planets and asteroids render the Earth a financial backwater.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for colonize 
Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025
Races ensue to stop him from colonizing both her and Wisborg, where eventually the streets are paved with rats.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
By the time Dreyfus arrived, the trio of islands off the coast of French Guiana, part of the territory that France colonized in the 1640s, had long been collectively known as Devil’s Island.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024
Set in the future with humanity colonizing the Solar System, the resources across the various planets and asteroids render the Earth a financial backwater.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for colonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonize
Verb
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Things come to a head one fateful summer as, amid personal and family tumult, the maturing Griffin begins to inhabit his most important role: himself.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2025
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It’s been eight years now since Cumberbatch last inhabited the lead role on Sherlock opposite Martin Freeman’s John Watson, with Season 4 wrapping up in January 2017.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In 2014, the blogging platform Tumblr created an era-defining look and was populated by photosets of skinned knees and ripped tights, cigarettes, Doctor Who gif sets, and plenty of moody song lyrics typewritten over stormy backgrounds.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
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Try Audible for free Perle visited overflowing orphanages populated by children whose parents died in the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Our ancestors peopled the most lonesome reaches of the globe, from Hawaii to Easter Island, in the span of just a few thousand years.—
Cody Cottier,
Discover Magazine,
21 Oct. 2024
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But unlike Michelangelo, who was known for his muscular figures, Butcher peopled his chapel with his signature sprites.—
Penelope Green,
Baltimore Sun,
1 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near colonize
Cite this Entry
“Colonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonize. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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