as in poison
a chemical that is used to kill animals or insects that damage plants or crops
The family farm has gradually moved away from the use of pesticides.
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Recent Examples of pesticide
Cotton farming can involve massive quantities of pesticides, and yarn dyeing pollutes waterways with toxic chemicals.
—
The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the National Corn Growers Association reports that production costs – including expenses for seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and machinery – remain near record highs.
—Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
Regenerative grain refers to grain that is grown and harvested using methods to enhance soil instead of depleting it, like not using pesticides and planting crops that encourage biodiversity.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2025
Natural sources may be treated with pesticides and herbicides, and are also prone to contamination with bacteria and other pathogens, Manning adds.
—Alice Park, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the National Corn Growers Association reports that production costs – including expenses for seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and machinery – remain near record highs.
—Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
Regenerative grain refers to grain that is grown and harvested using methods to enhance soil instead of depleting it, like not using pesticides and planting crops that encourage biodiversity.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2025
Natural sources may be treated with pesticides and herbicides, and are also prone to contamination with bacteria and other pathogens, Manning adds.
—Alice Park, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
-
Everybody agrees that social media promotes poison.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Where’s the spike in poison control calls?—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In the 1970s, Claudia Miller, an allergist and environmental scientist, was studying how toxicants affect people in industrial settings and began noticing strange symptoms emerging after certain kinds of chemical exposures.—
Kate Raphael,
Discover Magazine,
23 June 2025
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Then, using a simulation, the team found that the warmth and weight of the sleeping child could increase the off-gassing of the toxicants.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The area is significantly polluted with DDT, a chemical used as an insecticide that was banned in 1972.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Sep. 2025
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But the Mayo Clinic recommends that people living in high-risk places take a number of steps to protect themselves, including using netting with insecticide over their bed, using insecticides to kill insects inside their home, and using insect repellent on their body.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Urban streams accumulate the waste of cities—runoff of pesticides, herbicides, oil, and whatever else.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
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Studies have found associations between exposure to some herbicides and pesticides and cancer, hormone disruption, and other acute and chronic health conditions.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The smallest, what are called ultrafine particles, even slip through the alveolar capillary barrier itself, crossing into the bloodstream, and from there travel throughout the body, including to the heart, the brain, and the kidneys to initiate even more destruction and disease (see below).—
Bill Frist,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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But the shot has been a life-saving public health intervention against the disease, which can lead to severe health problems, including liver cancer and failure, and death.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Application of a turf fungicide is recommended as leaf spots and root rot are very common with new sod due to the frequent watering and rains.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Unless your entire yard is covered with mushrooms, applying a commercial or DIY fungicide is not recommended.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Victims of a snake bite are advised not to try to remove the venom themselves or to tie off the bite area.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Wolf spider bites are not poisonous and won't cause sores or body-wide symptoms from its venom.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In 2023, 20 steel mills and coke plants nationwide emitted nearly 2.4 million pounds of air toxics, 289,722 tons of criteria air pollutants and 43.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, according to the study.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
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Is there any hope of finding a way to take the toxic and turn it into a net positive?—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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