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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Examples of pollution in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Earlier today, the triathlon was postponed over pollution concerns.
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Washington
post Staff, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
Show more However, the rain that beset the opening ceremony has raised the pollution levels in the main river and forecasters are predicting a thunderstorm over Paris in the coming days, increasing the urgency to hold the triathlon.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 30 July 2024
Extreme rainfall is becoming more common as fossil fuel pollution pushes temperatures higher and bolsters the atmosphere’s ability to store more water vapor.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 30 July 2024
That pollution will stick around and likely get worse at times as the smoke falls down into the valley where the fire is burning, according to the National Weather Service’s Sacramento branch.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pollution 
Washington
post Staff, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
Show more However, the rain that beset the opening ceremony has raised the pollution levels in the main river and forecasters are predicting a thunderstorm over Paris in the coming days, increasing the urgency to hold the triathlon.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 30 July 2024
Extreme rainfall is becoming more common as fossil fuel pollution pushes temperatures higher and bolsters the atmosphere’s ability to store more water vapor.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 30 July 2024
That pollution will stick around and likely get worse at times as the smoke falls down into the valley where the fire is burning, according to the National Weather Service’s Sacramento branch.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pollution
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pollution.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 13 Aug. 2024.
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