1
as in tainting
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluting
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 degrading
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
4
as in turning
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
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Recent Examples of poisoning
In the Middle Ages, local churchgoers whispered of clannish Jews poisoning wells to kill Christian children and steal their blood for their rituals.
—
Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
After Kouri Richins was charged with murder for fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, a friend of the Utah mother of three had a difficult time reconciling that.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Richins, 35, faced multiple felony charges for allegedly poisoning Eric Richins, her late husband, in March 2022.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Chronic mold poisoning our children.
—Sumathy Kumar, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Through the years, there have been more oil spills, but also toxic algae blooms poisoning sea creatures with domoic acid and disease outbreaks, unusual stranding events that would fill the center to maximum capacity.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Robert Josh Grossman read through several pages of text messages between him and Kouri Richins, who is accused of poisoning her husband with a fatal dose of fentanyl.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026
Condors vanished from the state’s North Coast after the arrival of European settlers, who killed other animals with lead bullets and strychnine — poisoning the raptors that feed on carrion.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
At the time of the two incidents, Werking and Fine Moses were both representing James Craig, the Aurora dentist who was charged at the time with — and has since been convicted of — poisoning his wife to death.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
After Kouri Richins was charged with murder for fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, a friend of the Utah mother of three had a difficult time reconciling that.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Richins, 35, faced multiple felony charges for allegedly poisoning Eric Richins, her late husband, in March 2022.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Chronic mold poisoning our children.
—Sumathy Kumar, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Through the years, there have been more oil spills, but also toxic algae blooms poisoning sea creatures with domoic acid and disease outbreaks, unusual stranding events that would fill the center to maximum capacity.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Robert Josh Grossman read through several pages of text messages between him and Kouri Richins, who is accused of poisoning her husband with a fatal dose of fentanyl.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026
Condors vanished from the state’s North Coast after the arrival of European settlers, who killed other animals with lead bullets and strychnine — poisoning the raptors that feed on carrion.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
At the time of the two incidents, Werking and Fine Moses were both representing James Craig, the Aurora dentist who was charged at the time with — and has since been convicted of — poisoning his wife to death.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisoning
Verb
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Played by cisgender actress Kathleen Turner, Charles proved to be one of the more divisive characters from Friends, tainting its cultural legacy for some critics.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Infected people and dogs had to be prevented from tainting water sources.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
California’s standards have spurred important technological innovations for vehicles, including new types of less-polluting gasoline and vehicles that emit no pollution at all.—
Ann E. Carlson,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The only thing standing in the way of progress is the powerful plastics and fossil fuel lobbyists — hired by the same companies responsible for polluting our planet and bodies with plastic and its toxic chemicals.—
Shanna Swan,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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More than 100 aircraft launched from land and sea in the first day, with cyber and space campaigns degrading Iranian communications and sensors while the air campaign struck command-and-control centers, ballistic-missile sites, naval forces and intelligence infrastructure.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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However, having a physical tether limits reliable range, with performance degrading beyond about 20 kilometers (12 miles) as cables snap under stress.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The key now is to foster stronger intracontinental dialogue—turning these events from mere entry points into active hubs of exchange among artists, institutions, and audiences.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The bus stopped abruptly after a Baltimore Police Department vehicle cut off the bus while turning into a private parking lot on Edison Highway.—
Chevall Pryce,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Without spoiling too much, Kane and Palk get to bond over their Kansas City roots in the beginning of the show.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Angels lost to the Mariners, 3-1 in 10 innings, on Friday, spoiling the home opener for an Angel Stadium sell-out crowd of 44,931.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Although banned in Venezuela, mercury remains prevalent in mining areas, contaminating rivers and exposing workers and nearby communities to toxic effects.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
These compounds do not break down in the environment and can easily migrate into the air, dust, food and soil, also contaminating nearly half the drinking water in the United States.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For Hildegard of Bingen, the German mystic, scientist, composer, and philosopher, women’s maternal bodies were not corrupting and degrading, but strong, nurturing, and creative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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In his Phaedrus, Plato attacked reading as corrupting true philosophical dialectic.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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During his captivity, Salomon, who was multilingual, served as a translator between British and Hessian forces — convincing some of them to desert or turn to the American side.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Both parties would serve the public well by convincing Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills to resign simultaneously, with the backdrop of leadership united by the idea that Congress should never elevate party over the dignity of its body.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poisoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisoning. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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