General Antonyms:
* Depopulate: To reduce the population of a place.
* Empty: To make a place or area devoid of inhabitants.
* Vacate: To leave a place, making it empty.
* Desolate: To make a place barren and lifeless.
* Abandon: To leave a place completely, often without any intention of returning.
Specific Antonyms:
* Destroy: To eliminate or obliterate a population (e.g., "The plague destroyed the village").
* Exterminate: To kill off an entire population (e.g., "The colonists exterminated the native tribes").
The best antonym for "populate" will depend on the specific situation and meaning you want to convey.