: a fragrant liquid unsaturated hydrocarbon C8H8 used chiefly in making synthetic rubber, resins, and plastics and in improving drying oils
also
: any of various synthetic plastics made from styrene by polymerization or copolymerization
Examples of styrene in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Made from styrene, which is classified as a possible human carcinogen.
—
Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
Depending on what's burning – grasslands, trees, vegetation, buildings – wildfire smoke can contain chemical substances such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, acid gases, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, toluene, styrene, metals and dioxins, the New York State Department of Health says.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Ineos found itself in the middle of controversy on Sept. 24 when a train car began leaking styrene while parked in a railyard in western Hamilton County.
—Courtney King and Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2024
Doing so caused the carbon black particles to heat the plastic polystyrene particles, molecularly breaking them down into liquid styrenes.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for styrene
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Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
Depending on what's burning – grasslands, trees, vegetation, buildings – wildfire smoke can contain chemical substances such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, acid gases, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, toluene, styrene, metals and dioxins, the New York State Department of Health says.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Ineos found itself in the middle of controversy on Sept. 24 when a train car began leaking styrene while parked in a railyard in western Hamilton County.
—Courtney King and Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2024
Doing so caused the carbon black particles to heat the plastic polystyrene particles, molecularly breaking them down into liquid styrenes.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for styrene
Cite this Entry
“Styrene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/styrene. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
styrene
noun
sty·rene
ˈstī-ˌrēn 
: a fragrant liquid unsaturated hydrocarbon C8H8 used chiefly in making synthetic rubber, resins, and plastics and in improving drying oils
also
: any of various synthetic plastics made from styrene by polymerization or copolymerization
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