pollution

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 All Marylanders should take advantage of EmPOWER offerings to help reduce energy waste and pollution and save money on energy bills. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2025 Winter is the fastest-warming season for nearly 75% of the US as the planet warms because of fossil fuel pollution. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025 The air pollution from incinerated satellites could also change how much heat the Earth's atmosphere retains, leading to possibly serious consequences on the planet's climate. Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 2 Feb. 2025 One of the knocks on his records, according to the group, was his veto of a bill that would have placed a warning label about air pollution on gas stoves. Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for pollution 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
  • People in certain regions of Minnesota, especially the southeast, have long been at a higher risk of nitrate contamination from their private wells.
    MinnPost, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
  • The decision to put untested but possibly hazardous waste in Sunshine Canyon, Hunter said, doesn’t consider the landfill’s proximity to residences and the potential for groundwater contamination in the event that the landfill’s liner system is damaged due to an earthquake.
    Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The mayor has been under sharp scrutiny since President Trump’s Department Justice Department last week ordered prosecutors in his federal corruption case to drop the criminal charges against him.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Four senior deputies to New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced their resignations Monday after the Justice Department moved to dismiss his corruption case.
    Zach Halaschak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Connecticut began following the California standards in 2004 and continued doing so as regulators in that state gradually shifted from the goal of reducing smog-forming pollutants to fighting climate change.
    John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2025
  • Barker, who had recently published an inventory of rocket emissions and pollutants from satellite re-entries in the journal Nature, posted the estimates on his LinkedIn profile shortly after the mishap.
    Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 2 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near pollution

Cite this Entry

“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pollution

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!