SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
proliferate
verb
To increase or spread rapidly.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Increase rapidly
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topProliferate stresses rapid multiplication or spread. Reproduce and breed apply more narrowly to generating new organisms or copies.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See proliferate in use
Unofficial copies began to proliferate after the file was shared.
Suggestions for additional sessions proliferate as participants rapidly propose book covers, posters, fabric work, and small collaborative publications.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license