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overpopulate

American  
[oh-ver-pop-yuh-leyt] / ˌoʊ vərˈpɒp jəˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

overpopulated, overpopulating
  1. to fill with an excessive number of people, straining available resources and facilities.

    Expanding industry has overpopulated the western suburbs.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of overpopulate

First recorded in 1865–70; over- + populate

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:

Authorities are now looking at translocating some animals so they don't overpopulate the area.

From BBC Dec. 29, 2024

Experts warn that human-assisted tree migration must account for the risk of introducing nonnative species into an area where they could overpopulate and outcompete native species for water and soil nutrients.

From Scientific American May 5, 2023

Like everything wonderful and good in the entertainment industry, the limited series has become so trendy that it is threatening to overpopulate itself into extinction.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 29, 2022

That is the main argument against a steady state economy, and why we will continue to overpopulate the earth, pollute the atmosphere, land and seas, and suffer regional conflicts fighting over resources.

From New York Times Apr. 27, 2018

They increase very rapidly, and at not infrequent intervals they overpopulate the island, and then perish by hundreds of starvation and the diseases which follow a too meagre diet.

From Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands by Nordhoff, Charles

"If you were drawing up a country from scratch, a well-educated, well-resourced, not overpopulated country would be what you would want, right? So, I think Canada has all those things, all those features," he said.

From BBC Jun. 27, 2026

And the human species is way overpopulated, about four times overpopulated now.

From Salon Nov. 30, 2024

She agreed with the agency’s argument that it had the authority to round up horses as soon as it determined the herd was overpopulated.

From Seattle Times Mar. 29, 2024

But let’s face facts: The biggest dilemma for solving homelessness in California is the extraordinarily high cost of housing in this overpopulated state.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 12, 2024

The porches seem more overpopulated with knickknacks and hanging plants than I remember.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

The bottom line is, humans have no idea how to stop invasive A. gracilipes ants from overpopulating any habitat they move to.

From Salon Jul. 24, 2023

Why is it prima facie an obvious good in and of itself that our species collectively keep overpopulating the earth?

From The Guardian Jul. 6, 2020

His findings led to the concept of the “behavioral sink” and suggested that evolution had given animals, perhaps including humans, an innate and irreversible self-destruct button to prevent a species from overpopulating its habitat.

From Washington Post Jun. 19, 2017

Like domestic sheep left unattended in a fenced pasture, we humans are eating and defecating and overpopulating the very ecosystems that support life.

From New York Times Oct. 25, 2016

We talk about the ecological burden of overpopulating the planet.

From Time Dec. 17, 2014

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