How to Use permeate in a Sentence

permeate

verb
  • The rain permeated through the soil.
  • The smell of baking bread permeated the kitchen.
  • The water permeated the sand.
  • A feeling of anxiety permeated the office as we rushed to meet the deadline.
  • All of that comes amidst the air of death that permeates the film now.
    — Luke O'Neil, Esquire, 7 Dec. 2017
  • The squash must be cubed to allow the heat to permeate all of the food.
    — Laura Simpson, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Their presence seemed to permeate across time, space and dress code.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN, 21 Dec. 2021
  • Parts of the slum are covered with garbage and the stench of sewage permeates the air.
    — Leo Correa, The Seattle Times, 27 June 2017
  • The smell of gas permeates the air as a blue truck with a dolphin on the back hums by.
    — Briana Erickson, miamiherald, 25 May 2017
  • The smells of urine and bat poop permeated.
    — Brad Schmitt, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The kitchen boasts a six-foot hearth oven, which will permeate the shareable plates menu.
    — Lily O'Neill, The Denver Post, 11 June 2024
  • But a sense of shock still permeated the room as tributes were shared.
    — Talya Minsberg, New York Times, 13 May 2023
  • This deep bias that permeates all life must have had a beginning.
    — Luba Ostashevsky, Ars Technica, 26 Feb. 2018
  • The foul smell permeated the area, too.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
  • The smell of rot permeates the air within 10 feet of the place.
    — jsonline.com, 18 Oct. 2017
  • Water will permeate the wood, causing the fibers to swell and warp.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 28 June 2026
  • Roots permeate the mulch layers and don’t want to be disturbed.
    — Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 22 July 2017
  • Nitrile work gloves are better than cloth, as the plants oil won't permeate through the glove.
    — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, 4 June 2018
  • There is the pain that permeates his music, and the pain of his millions of young fans around the world.
    — Dan Rys, Billboard, 29 June 2018
  • There is nothing like the first day of training camp as the smell of grass, dirt and sweat permeates the air.
    — Mike Preston, baltimoresun.com, 26 July 2019
  • This is of a piece with a general vagueness that permeates the first half of the book.
    — Frank Rose, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2020
  • Their smell, fishy and salty and smoky, would permeate the town, carried on breezes from homes and on clothing.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2021
  • That kind of raw honesty permeates the music.
    — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2026
  • That kind of raw honesty permeates the music.
    — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
  • This is a global issue that permeates regions all over the world.
    — Oscar Chavez-Arrieta, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
  • As people traverse the roads between tents and trucks, clouds of dirt permeate the air.
    — Mackenzie Brower, The Arizona Republic, 26 Sep. 2021
  • Banter and f-bombs permeate the air like steam from the hunks of meat braising in the massive range.
    — Emily Heil, Washington Post, 6 July 2022
  • Grill smells permeate the air in Milwaukee from spring to fall.
    — Journal Sentinel, 23 May 2024
  • Theories about the end of the world have permeated for decades.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
  • At the same time, tartans, tweeds, and checks have started to permeate home design.
    — Cornelia Powers, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'permeate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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