polluted 1 of 2

polluted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pollute

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 polluted
Adjective
If one neighborhood is highly polluted but nearby communities aren’t, county-level averages would show an overall low level of pollution – even though the more detailed information would reveal a major problem to be addressed in one particular area. Mark Axelrod, The Conversation, 30 June 2026 Her inner light reminds him of the stars he’s seen with his own eyes, above the polluted atmosphere of Earth. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 27 June 2026 Some went back into the river downstream, where environmental regulators have found waterways warmed and polluted. Emily Cureton Cook, ProPublica, 26 June 2026 Even then, after days of heavy rain, polluted lagoon water lapped at the edges of the city. Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 There, Marlon must cross the polluted waters of the festering Guanabara Bay in search of a former commander turned messianic cult leader to stop the spread of their paramilitary group. Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 16 June 2026 Although everyone breathes polluted air, children, elderly, and historically disadvantaged communities are hurt the most. Chris Hartmann, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026 Manatee County government agreed to help too, establishing a well to dispose of polluted water from the site. Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026 The measure was a face-off between supporters who said the community needed more housing and opponents who raised concerns about traffic, wildlife and polluted groundwater from a nearby former landfill. Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
Verb
As a result, many people living near Mavecure have gotten out of gold mining, which polluted the jungle rivers with mercury and sediment, to work as tour guides, operate restaurants and hostels, or sell arts and crafts. John Otis, NPR, 30 May 2026 At the latter, four local farmers show The Athletic water courses polluted with crude oil. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026 Supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party also took the discourse offline this week, dressing up as the insect to clean up India’s notoriously polluted Yamuna River in Delhi, according to news reports. Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 May 2026 However, the oceans are in trouble and are constantly polluted with plastic, particularly single-use plastic bags, which is a huge problem. Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2026 Testing by the University of Georgia that alerted the industry and state in 2008, when Bost was in her teens, showed the local Conasauga River that supplies the region’s drinking water was polluted. Dylan Jackson, ABC News, 6 May 2026 That is exactly what this film cleverly does — pinpoints the insidious nature of far-right movements and the creeping rhetoric that has polluted our society. Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026 Water sources are often polluted through run-off from lawns that contain herbicides. David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 28 Apr. 2026 As Mexico City has expanded, the Xochimilco water system has shrunk and become increasingly polluted, placing mounting pressure on the axolotl population. Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polluted
Adjective
  • The life-threatening species that's found in water can also sicken or kill people who eat contaminated seafood, such as raw oysters infected with the bacteria.
    Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Every dollar a family spends on cancer treatment or a hospital stay tied to contaminated water is a dollar that better rules could have saved them.
    Alex Burton, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • The special bond between Supergirl and her scruffy animal sidekick becomes a key plot point in Kara’s new solo movie, where Krypto is poisoned by space outlaw Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Kara Zor-El (Alcock) goes on a planet-hopping mission to save her beloved Krypto – with young and vengeful girl Ruthye (Eve Ridley) in tow – after he’s poisoned by the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 June 2026
Adjective
  • By contrast, brewing coffee takes several minutes, resulting in a lighter, more diluted drink.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 June 2026
  • To help remove sugar or milk, spray the area with diluted dishwashing soap solution.
    Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Murdaugh’s attorneys appealed the convictions, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk Becky Hill’s inappropriate comments to jurors implying his guilt.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
  • So these stories are going to get adjusted and tainted, or they’ll sometimes get distilled down to something more essential.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • But dwarf galaxies are smaller and colder, with more dilute and slower-moving matter.
    Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
  • Second, a dilute hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining lithium and the transition metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Navarro, who pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy in August, was sentenced Friday in Manhattan by federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil for being part of a conspiracy to distribute and administer adulterated and misbranded drugs for racehorses.
    Stephen Edelson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2021
Adjective
  • Aabria walks the best line here, keeping her lies small, manageable, and heavily mixed with the truth, and getting the jury on her side most consistently.
    Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 30 June 2026
  • The two nations have given mixed messages on tolls and routes through the vital waterway.
    Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • Wise’s wistful songwriting is retained, but completely missing is his intentionally impure palette.
    Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Kanto practitioners believe that women cannot participate because, according to Japan's Shinto religion, women's blood from menstruation and childbirth is considered impure for the purpose of religious rituals.
    Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Polluted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polluted. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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