mutate

verb

mutated; mutating

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation
mutative adjective

Examples of mutate in a Sentence

a disease that mutates genes in humans a group of mutated genes Over time, her feelings mutated from hatred into love. opera singers mutating into pop stars
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During the fall of 2019, in a lab in Wuhan, China, a cluster of atoms weighing less than one-trillionth of a gram mutated ever so slightly, cascading into the greatest disruption to human life in over a century. Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 Cornell University’s Department of Public & Ecosystem Health expert Jenny Bloodgood told NBC News that she’s seen a fox, a skunk, a possum and a bobcat test positive for the virus in New York State, indicating the bug could be mutating. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025 Scientists have developed some wheat strains resistant to the disease, but pathogens that affect plants can mutate and evolve. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025 The events mutated into a leaderless harassment campaign known as Gamergate, eventually moving from 4chan to more mainstream social media platforms. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mutate

Word History

Etymology

Latin mutatus, past participle of mutare

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of mutate was in 1818

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mutate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

mutate

verb
mu·​tate ˈmyü-ˌtāt How to pronounce mutate (audio)
mutated; mutating
: to undergo or cause to undergo mutation

Medical Definition

mutate

verb
mutated; mutating

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation
mutative adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on mutate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!