adulterated 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrā-təd How to pronounce adulterated (audio)
Definition of adulteratednext
as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances the outbreak of food poisoning was traced to adulterated ground beef

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

adulterated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of adulterate
as in diluted
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances the company was fined for adulterating its "all beef" frankfurters with cereal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of adulterated
Adjective
Navarro, who pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy in August, was sentenced Friday in Manhattan by federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil for being part of a conspiracy to distribute and administer adulterated and misbranded drugs for racehorses. — Stephen Edelson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2021
Verb
Some olive oils are adulterated, which means other substances may be added to them to lower the quality—and often manufacturing costs—while increasing the amount in the bottle. — Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 27 Apr. 2026 Naloxone, the active drug in Narcan, is only effective on opioids and not on stimulants like cocaine, which would suggest the substance Dick used was adulterated with an opiate such as fentanyl. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026 Food and/or ice adulterated or contaminated. — Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025 Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was dead against the idea, with his club arguing that breaking the traditional home and away format adulterated the competition, while also expressing concern over participating teams gaining a financial advantage. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Fruits, leafy greens and other produce can become adulterated with listeria through fecal contamination, which can occur through wastewater, water in the growing area, fertilizer and the proximity of said growing area to livestock, USA TODAY previously reported. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterated
  1. polluted
  2. diluted
  3. contaminated
  4. dilute
  5. tainted
  6. mixed
  7. blended
Adjective
  • If one neighborhood is highly polluted but nearby communities aren’t, county-level averages would show an overall low level of pollution – even though the more detailed information would reveal a major problem to be addressed in one particular area.
    — Mark Axelrod, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
  • Her inner light reminds him of the stars he’s seen with his own eyes, above the polluted atmosphere of Earth.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 27 June 2026
Definition of polluted
Verb
  • Little to no ice is needed in this case, so the drink isn’t diluted; instead, it’s packed with fruit flavor.
    — Melissa Knific, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2026
  • By the time everything converges, the original opportunity has been diluted by handoffs rather than sharpened through genuine collaboration.
    — Manmit Shrimali, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of diluted
Adjective
  • The life-threatening species that's found in water can also sicken or kill people who eat contaminated seafood, such as raw oysters infected with the bacteria.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Every dollar a family spends on cancer treatment or a hospital stay tied to contaminated water is a dollar that better rules could have saved them.
    — Alex Burton, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
Definition of contaminated
Adjective
  • But dwarf galaxies are smaller and colder, with more dilute and slower-moving matter.
    — Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
  • Second, a dilute hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining lithium and the transition metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025
Definition of dilute
Adjective
  • Close to half of the cases of foodborne illness caused by Vibrio vulnificus have resulted in death, and some within 24 hours after consumption of tainted shellfish such as raw oysters.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Another juvenile in detention passed around the tainted jug, according to the suit.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of tainted
Adjective
  • Despite its mixed reception and the eventual drama surrounding its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, and the following implosion during awards season, it got nominated for best picture at the 2023 Academy Awards, and Vaccarello got close to Oscar glory.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
  • Within individual subgroups, results are mixed and don’t show uniform, systemwide gains.
    — Kendall Deas, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of mixed
Adjective
  • Take Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who have spent more than four decades proving that romance thrives just fine outside the chapel while raising a blended family.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
  • In a blended workforce of employees, fractional talent and AI agents, success depends less on similarity and more on people who can challenge assumptions and elevate collective capability.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of blended

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Cite this Entry

“Adulterated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterated. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of adulterated for Spanish Speakers

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