as in to contaminate
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
outmoded factories polluting the air
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Recent Examples of pollute
First of all, most batteries contain cobalt, nickel, manganese, and other heavy metals that can be potentially toxic, and keeping them out of landfills ensures that these metals don’t leech out and pollute drinking water or the natural environment.
—
Katherine Gallagher, Treehugger, 20 Jan. 2026
About 90 years ago, American farmers in the Great Plains had so ravaged the thin soil there that a series of droughts turned the region into a vast expanse of dust, which formed monstrous storms and polluted the skies in cities hundreds of miles away.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2026
Florida’s approach for policing water contamination amounts to an honor system that protects polluting industries — including agriculture and development, whose representatives lobby heavily in Tallahassee, the Times found.
—Bethany Barnes, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act allows states and tribes to block projects that may pollute their waters.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollute
Katherine Gallagher, Treehugger, 20 Jan. 2026
About 90 years ago, American farmers in the Great Plains had so ravaged the thin soil there that a series of droughts turned the region into a vast expanse of dust, which formed monstrous storms and polluted the skies in cities hundreds of miles away.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2026
Florida’s approach for policing water contamination amounts to an honor system that protects polluting industries — including agriculture and development, whose representatives lobby heavily in Tallahassee, the Times found.
—Bethany Barnes, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act allows states and tribes to block projects that may pollute their waters.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollute
Verb
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The report references the case of a detainee at an ICE facility who drank tap water that was contaminated with high levels of chlorine.—
Lautaro Grinspan,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Everything from air fresheners, candles, and scented wax melts to gas stoves, dust, new furniture, and cleaning products can contaminate indoor air.—
Jamie Friedlander Serrano,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To an extent Amorim was handed a chalice which has felt forever poisoned.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Each bloom produces exponentially growing waves of cyanotoxins that can poison and even kill nearby aquatic organisms.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The fact that Katherine had been institutionalized may have tainted her scholarly reputation.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Both the original news reporting and police investigation would be tainted by these sexist views.—
Nathan Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pollute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollute. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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