as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
the witch gave Snow White a poison apple
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
exhaust fumes poisoning the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 poison
Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs.
—National Geographic, 28 Feb. 2020
Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
Part of the coup plot, prosecutors alleged, involved a plan to potentially use explosives, weapons of war or poison to assassinate leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro’s trial.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 10 Sep. 2025
Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella infection usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poison
Adjective
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs.
—National Geographic, 28 Feb. 2020
Noun
The first pits young poison expert Shinobu against the fan-wielding Doma (Upper Rank Two).
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
Part of the coup plot, prosecutors alleged, involved a plan to potentially use explosives, weapons of war or poison to assassinate leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro’s trial.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
As part of her ruling, Kreuziger barred McQueen, 59, from saying Lawrence Kenyon poisoned or attempted to poison her while they were married.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 10 Sep. 2025
Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella infection usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
Noun
-
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
-
Is there any hope of finding a way to take the toxic and turn it into a net positive?—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Rahmani, the former prosecutor, said statements by Patel and other Justice Department officials could raise concerns about tainting the jury pool in a future trial.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Swift and Lively’s long friendship had been a distinct sub-plot in the IEWU legal battles, with tabloid fodder that the duo have fallen out over the controversy adverse Eras Tour performer getting tainted with the whole thing.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The people affected by environmental violations are not just the nearby community, Duggan said, but the workers at polluting facilities as well.—
Taylor Kate Brown,
ProPublica,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Rivian also faces opposition from some residents who say the plant is an inappropriate neighbor to farms and will pollute the groundwater.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In some cases, performance degraded despite having access to better tools.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
However, as seals in the engines, designed to stop leaks, wear and degrade, oil seeps in and vaporizes in the heat, releasing toxic compounds onboard.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
He was arrested following a 33-hour manhunt after his parents recognized surveillance images of the suspect released by police and convinced him, with the help of a family friend, to turn himself in.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Also, the tensions between Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Iyo could result in the latter turning heel on Vaquer during or after the match for the vacant WWE Women’s World Championship.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Leninism, with its Bolshevik contempt for religion and family; Frantz Fanon's poisonous doctrine that violence is not only justified but the very path to human dignity; and Islamism's contempt for the West.—
Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The same is true at mining sites that supply the minerals essential for AI hardware, where the extraction and refining are poisonous for the local environment, writes environmental studies and public policy scholar Sophia Kalantzakos.—
Michaela Rychetska,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
Despite Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden being the clear favorites for gold in the 100-meter dash, there are a few others besides Fraser-Pryce who could spoil the party.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, the couple is content to spoil their dog, Bimini, a mini Labradoodle whom Berk first introduced on his Instagram in 2021.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share