Synonyms

propagate

American

[prop-uh-geyt] / ˈprɒp əˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

to cause (an organism) to multiply by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock.
to reproduce (itself, its kind, etc.), as an organism does.
to transmit (hereditary features or elements) to, or through, offspring.
to spread (a report, doctrine, practice, etc.) from person to person; disseminate.
to cause to increase in number or amount.
to create (an effect) at a distance, as by electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc., traveling through space or a physical medium; transmit.

to propagate sound.
to spread (a disease) from one individual to another.

Dr. John Atlee believed believed that filthy living conditions probably propagated cholera.
Computers. to cause (an update or other alteration) to take effect throughout a network of devices.

The active master database replicates updates to the standby master database, which propagates the updates to the subscribers.

verb (used without object)

to multiply by any process of natural reproduction, as organisms; breed.
to increase in extent, as a structural flaw.

The crack will propagate only to this joint.
(of electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc.) to travel through space or a physical medium.
Computers. to take effect throughout a network of devices.

propagate British

/ ˈprɒpəˌɡeɪt /

verb

biology to reproduce or cause to reproduce; breed
(tr) horticulture to produce (plants) by layering, grafting, cuttings, etc
(tr) to promulgate; disseminate
physics to move through, cause to move through, or transmit, esp in the form of a wave

to propagate sound
(tr) to transmit (characteristics) from one generation to the next

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of propagate

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin propāgātus (past participle of propāgāre “to reproduce (a plant) by cuttings, spread for sprouting, propagate, enlarge),” equivalent to propāg(ēs) “something set out, scion, slip” ( pro- pro- ¹ + pāg-, base of pangere “to fasten” + -ēs noun suffix) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

To propagate is to be fruitful and multiply, by the usual routes of reproduction, or by spreading something around — like a rumor. Propagate comes from the Latin word propagare, which means "to reproduce plants, breed." Plants love to propagate, especially when someone with a green thumb starts off with a jade plant stem in water and ends up with a garden full of the succulents. Plants aren't the only things to propagate like bunnies: in some apocalyptic movies, a virus propagates quickly, killing almost everyone in the world. Sound and light can also spread, or propagate, through the air.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

propagate propagates propagated propagating

Any talk of changing the rules, salary cap or otherwise, to put reins on this kind of success would propagate underperformance and penalize this fascinating culture of constant improvement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

"Why do solar storms propagate in this way? What are their structures, and can we develop models that allow us to predict them?" asked Carole Mundell, the ESA's director of science.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Any pullback in stock markets has major negative wealth effects, and because the U.S. is pretty much two thirds of the world’s stock market capitalization a “U.S.-led repricing could propagate globally.”

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

In a financial system built on common software and shared service providers, AI-assisted attacks can propagate across sectors like energy, telecommunications and public services that rely on the same infrastructure, the IMF said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

Fears have been raised that in their enthusiasm scientists might inadvertently create a black hole or even something called "strange quarks," which could, theoretically, interact with other subatomic particles and propagate uncontrollably.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Over generations, the trait propagates through the population until what was once a rare mutation becomes commonplace.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

"What's special about YIG is that it propagates a magnetic spin wave," says Olsson, referring to the type of wave created in magnetic materials when electrons spin in a synchronized fashion.

From Science Daily ● May 24, 2024

Now a nonprofit, the group propagates and distributes about 10,000 native saplings annually from wild-collected seed, mostly to other nonprofits and ecological restoration efforts.

From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2024

It’s one of many factors the researchers had to consider in their acoustic modeling, along with wind speed, temperature and time of year, which can all affect how sound propagates through the ocean.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2024

Man nourishes himself, grows, propagates his kind, moves about, and is endowed with sense-perception.

From A Critical History of Greek Philosophy by W. T. (Walter Terence) Stace

Saplings which have been propagated from the few surviving trees in the county are being nurtured in Terrington, near Malton, before they are planted within the next two years.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

In contrast, the Wrightwood earthquake of 1812 crossed the junction and propagated through both fault systems as a single event.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026

That is the sort of narrative that’s being propagated online in large measure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

There’s a whole discourse that women only want to marry tall, beefy, high-testosterone, aggro men, but that discourse is largely propagated by male influencers and people trying to sell protein powder.

From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2025

It propagated all the way around until it met its starting point.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Helen Litchfield, secretary of the botany section at La Société Guernesiaise, said the team's efforts in propagating the dwarf pansy meant it was no longer at risk.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026

Both countries poured billions of dollars into propagating their respective versions of Islamic orthodoxy around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

Correlations across asset classes could rise abruptly, propagating the initial stress like a wave across segments of the financial system seemingly uncorrelated.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 26, 2026

"The issue is slowly propagating from small headwaters into bigger rivers over time," he said.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024

I wasn’t sure how my dad would react to me propagating the rumor, but he just shook his head, looking all dazed and confused.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023