as in to contaminate
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
outmoded factories polluting the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pollute
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
Meanwhile, environmental justice advocates — who advocate for low-income and disadvantaged communities that often live closer to polluting industries — and other environmental advocates said the proposal doesn’t go far enough.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
What To Know The annual $1 billion allocation comes from California's cap-and-invest program, which collects fees from polluting industries.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Replacing natural gas, typically used in glassmaking, with less-polluting power sources can also reduce emissions.
—Aki Ishida, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollute
Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, environmental justice advocates — who advocate for low-income and disadvantaged communities that often live closer to polluting industries — and other environmental advocates said the proposal doesn’t go far enough.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
What To Know The annual $1 billion allocation comes from California's cap-and-invest program, which collects fees from polluting industries.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Replacing natural gas, typically used in glassmaking, with less-polluting power sources can also reduce emissions.
—Aki Ishida, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollute
Verb
-
Without rigorous sandboxing or permission boundaries, an agent can accidentally run malicious commands, contaminate data or overload mission-critical systems.—
Steve Durbin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In late August, contaminated oysters sickened several people in Louisiana, killing two people and sending 22 others to the hospital.—
Mollye Barrows,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Thousands of multivitamin bottles sold on Amazon and other websites have been recalled over a risk of serious injury or death by poisoning.—
Joel Thayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
During World War II, Husseini became a Nazi collaborator, broadcasting propaganda into the Arab world, touring death camps with his friend Heinrich Himmler, recruiting SS divisions, and hatching a plot to poison Tel Aviv’s water supply.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 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
Cite this Entry
“Pollute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollute. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share