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.

"It allows us to witness ecological processes that would otherwise remain invisible -- how life colonizes, evolves, and adapts. Such work is essential for understanding the future of ecosystems in a rapidly changing world."

From Science Daily • Nov. 4, 2025

Despite its gruesome appearance, this mushroom is beneficial for the coniferous trees it colonizes.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2023

The fungus colonizes the trays, resulting in a material that, through an undisclosed proprietary procedure, looks and feels like leather, according to the company.

From Scientific American • Mar. 28, 2022

Sometimes a fraction of a population breaks away and colonizes a new habitat.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

Etienne’s huge study colonizes the entire fifth floor, alternately deeply quiet or else full of voices or music or static.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr