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
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Recent Examples of pollution
Measuring how much planet-warming pollution a car emits is not straightforward as its whole life cycle, including how it was manufactured, needs to be taken into account.
—
Olesya Dmitracova, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Whether through noise, pollution or eminent domain, all those neighborhoods would be impacted by the I-77 plan in some way.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
Once all the air pollution goes to zilch in half an hour, the Airmega automatically switches into eco mode.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
And biomedicine avoids concepts like purity and pollution when treating issues related to menstruation and childbirth.
—Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Olesya Dmitracova, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Whether through noise, pollution or eminent domain, all those neighborhoods would be impacted by the I-77 plan in some way.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
Once all the air pollution goes to zilch in half an hour, the Airmega automatically switches into eco mode.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
And biomedicine avoids concepts like purity and pollution when treating issues related to menstruation and childbirth.
—Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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Until now, identifying what liquid surrounds a specimen required opening the jar, risking evaporation, contamination, and irreversible damage.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
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This also results in a loss of water pressure within the distribution system, and that could lead to contamination entering the system through backflow or back siphonage.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Advertisement Both Paxton’s baggage and his history of using his office to troll Democrats is a central feature in the Republican primary, which has devolved into a barrage of personal attacks of betrayal, adultery, and corruption.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine was up one point at 36 after an energy sector corruption scandal forced high-level resignations.—
Geir Moulson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Instead of drifting away, those pollutants and smells are concentrating right in your neighborhood.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Chattahoochee Riverkeeper sued Atlanta in federal court in September 2024 after the group’s water monitors detected high levels of bacteria and other pollutants in the wastewater the city was discharging into the river.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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