pollution

Definition of pollutionnext
1
as in contamination
the action or process of making the environment dirty or harmful The company designed devices to reduce the pollution of the world's oceans.

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2
as in corruption
something that makes (someone) less pure, honest, or moral They refused to let their children play violent video games, believing that they caused pollution in a developing mind.

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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 pollution However, last summer, several swimming days were canceled due to heavy rain, which increases pollution upstream. ABC News, 4 July 2026 The Clean Air Act is the federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources and governs air pollution. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Elevated levels of the bacteria, which indicate fecal pollution, were detected at the Willow Creek Day Use Area, Nimbus Flats and Black Miners Bar Day Use Beach, park rangers said in an alert Wednesday. Madison Smalstig july 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026 Any extension of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement must include the tools, funding and enforcement mechanisms necessary to finally solve the Tijuana River pollution crisis. Serge Dedina, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
  • Without effective cleaning and sanitizing, these contaminants can be difficult to remove and may increase the risk of cross-contamination.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 28 June 2026
  • As mentioned, the four-color Benchy demonstrated accurate color registration with minimal visible contamination between color transitions.
    Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • The electoral authority based the candidate bans on a law against corrupt practices that in previous years saw some parliamentary seats bought with money linked to drug trafficking, corruption and tax evasion.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Seems like far too many appreciate this type of corruption, and making money on SM for lies, is precisely that.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • As whole house fans and swamp coolers can suck additional pollutants inside, the department recommends using air purifiers or air conditioners as alternatives when possible.
    Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • The material can power reactions such as oxidizing organic molecules, potentially degrading pollutants, sterilizing surfaces, or enabling photocatalytic chemistry to continue later in the dark.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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