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
Your complexion faces pollution, UV exposure, and other environmental stressors daily.
—
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025
The social cost of carbon — which puts a price on each ton of climate pollution — is a metric helping shape government regulations, making how it is set extremely influential.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
In fact, in 2014, a study from The World Bank concluded that air pollution and injuries from on-road motor vehicles cause 1.5 million deaths globally each year.
—Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Air pollution is also the second leading global risk factor for death, and the second leading risk factor for deaths among children under five, following malnutrition, because of its significant impact on respiratory and developmental health, as per the WHO.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025
The social cost of carbon — which puts a price on each ton of climate pollution — is a metric helping shape government regulations, making how it is set extremely influential.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
In fact, in 2014, a study from The World Bank concluded that air pollution and injuries from on-road motor vehicles cause 1.5 million deaths globally each year.
—Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Air pollution is also the second leading global risk factor for death, and the second leading risk factor for deaths among children under five, following malnutrition, because of its significant impact on respiratory and developmental health, as per the WHO.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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Issues ranged from spoilage and chemical concerns to product damage and foreign material contamination.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
14 Mar. 2025
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The agency has previously taken action against benzene contamination in other personal-care products, including sunscreens, dry shampoos and hand sanitizers.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But Bondi is also overseeing cuts within her building, including to the Public Integrity Section that takes on corruption cases against public officials, according to multiple media reports and confirmed by a former Justice Department official.—
David Catanese,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2025
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Compassionate Release of Nick Bovis Nick Bovis, a former San Francisco restaurateur, pleaded guilty to Honest Services and Insurance Wire Fraud in a political corruption case.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Further evidence shows that racial minority groups exposed to pollutants suffer from poor maternal health groups more than others in the United States.—
Tracy J. Wholf,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2025
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In the wake of the environmental and women’s movements, citizen activists, mothers of children with birth defects and women with breast cancer became alarmed about the threat of cancer linked to pesticides or industrial pollutants.—
Amy Lauren Fairchild,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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