poison 1 of 3

poison

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noun

as in toxic
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing the only way to get rid of rats is to leave out poison

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

poison

3 of 3

verb

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2
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as in to turn
to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge malicious rumors had poisoned many church members against the new pastor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 poison
Adjective
Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs. National Geographic, 28 Feb. 2020 Some farmers even intentionally poison cranes to stop them from foraging in their crops. National Geographic, 10 Feb. 2020
Noun
Read Next National Wife poisons husband, killing him, Georgia cops say. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2025 New York, Connecticut, and North Carolina poison control centers say calls for children that accidentally consume cannabis products are spiking. Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
Hours before that performance, as Ivy has a diva moment and Karen is incapacitated in a reformatting of the series’ poisoning plot line, Bombshell’s assistant director, Chloe (Bella Coppola), suddenly has to step up to play Marilyn, winning the love of the internet. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025 Janine also faced a near-death experience earlier in Season 5 when Esther poisoned herself and Janine. Abigail Lee, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
Noun
  • The toxics killed fish and wildlife, closed beaches, and endangered environmentally sensitive areas.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025
  • In Colorado, the process to choose the five priority air toxics included consulting with multiple stakeholders.
    Jenni Shearston, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Apologies to the late John Lennon, but that song has been tainted for many. Need a break?
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The river is tainted with harmful toxins from industrial waste, trash and untreated sewage.
    Kimberly Dickson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Well, the nation’s most polluting coal plant, Montana’s Colstrip plant, has asked the EPA for an exemption, as the New York Times’ Hiroko Tabuchi reports.
    Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Vyse's version is simpler and cheaper—estimated to add only a few cents more to the price of a drink—and avoids polluting gases.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike many other archaeological sites in Sweden, where acidic soil degrades organic material, Strandvägen’s conditions have allowed organic material to survive for many years, as Gummesson tells the publication.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Yields usually fall when fear is dominating markets, but their surprising earlier rise stirred fears that Trump’s trade war was degrading the U.S. bond market’s status as one of the world’s safest places to keep cash.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Francis’ Death Silences a Voice for the Voiceless As democratic values and alliances were being turned upside down, the pope was a consistent moral guidepost.
    Helene Cooper Jason Horowitz Claire Brown Maureen Cavanagh, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • But in his second term, Trump's aggressive trade policies and confrontational stance toward America's allies are threatening to turn that populist wave into a dangerous undertow.
    Scott Neuman, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But Palpatine's genius is less about those poisonous whispers than his plot to isolate Anakin from his friends.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The Big Bay Boom fireworks create a toxic fog of fine particles, poisonous aerosols and heavy metals that harm air, water and soil — posing serious risks to birds, wildlife, pets and people.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Pakistan is writing a new story of hope in which every child can survive and thrive and communities are protected from this preventable disease.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • While much research is still needed into the disease’s progression, Edgerly said people can take steps to potentially reduce their risk.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.
    Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
    Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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