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toxic

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noun

as in poison
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing tested for toxics in the water supply

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 toxic
Adjective
Worse, Liu’s one-dimensional moll spends the majority of her supporting screen time agonizing over toxic men, despite the actor’s best efforts to elevate the material. Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025 Chicago has more than 400,000 of the toxic pipes, by far the most of any U.S. city. Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
Many are similar to existing antibiotics or toxic to humans. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024 But scientists and environmentalists note forever chemicals and other toxics can persist in the fluid. Janet Wilson, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for toxic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toxic
Adjective
  • But perhaps more alarmingly, Seneca Meadows is currently sending poisonous, PFAS-laden runoff into the Hudson and your drinking water supply.
    Yvonne Taylor, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Shauna, Van, and Akilah break free from the rest of the group and end up in a tunnel permeated by some sort of poisonous gas.
    Esther Zuckerman, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Some were stoppers, the design concealing small vials of a particularly deadly poison.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Daughter-in-Law of Baker Whose Christmas Cake Killed 3 Arrested on Murder Charges: Reports Police chief Cléber dos Santos Lima told reporters that Dos Anjos researched and purchased the deadly poison four separate times, per the BBC.
    Christine Pelisek, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • And if that wasn’t bad enough, in extremely rare circumstances, neurologic fallout from measles is delayed, showing up 7 to 10 years post-infection as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a degenerative disease that is ultimately fatal, Dr. Lovins says.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease that can cause serious health complications, including death, especially in children under 5.
    Jaden Amos, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • While all strains of S. aureus produce toxins, only around 5% secrete specific types known as exfoliative toxins A and B (ETA and ETB).
    William Truswell, Verywell Health, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Blooms typically start in spring when the sun is out longer, fueling the toxins’ growth.
    Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Toxic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toxic. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

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