as in contamination
something that is or that makes impure
concerned about adulterants in the town's water supply coming from the discharge from the factory
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Recent Examples of adulterant
Plenty of coffee drinkers enjoy medium or dark roasts, which tend to pair well with milk and other adulterants.
—
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Other adulterants also pose potential risks, especially when consumed unknowingly.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Some products have been found to have contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria, or chemicals or adulterants not listed on the label.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 21 July 2025
In recent years, illicit drugs in the US have been cut with some high-profile and dangerous adulterants, such as the powerful veterinary sedative xylazine (aka tranq) and the yet more powerful veterinary sedative medetomidine.
—ArsTechnica, 10 July 2025
Soon, Wiley was releasing regular bulletins on food adulterants and advocating for national laws.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
Often, a patchwork of public health experts and harm-reduction groups help test samples and educate people about dangerous new adulterants cycling through local drug supplies.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025
Those tests have turned up a new adulterant: an industrial chemical known as BTMPS that is used in making plastics.
—Kate Kilpatrick, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Other adulterants also pose potential risks, especially when consumed unknowingly.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Some products have been found to have contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria, or chemicals or adulterants not listed on the label.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 21 July 2025
In recent years, illicit drugs in the US have been cut with some high-profile and dangerous adulterants, such as the powerful veterinary sedative xylazine (aka tranq) and the yet more powerful veterinary sedative medetomidine.
—ArsTechnica, 10 July 2025
Soon, Wiley was releasing regular bulletins on food adulterants and advocating for national laws.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
Often, a patchwork of public health experts and harm-reduction groups help test samples and educate people about dangerous new adulterants cycling through local drug supplies.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025
Those tests have turned up a new adulterant: an industrial chemical known as BTMPS that is used in making plastics.
—Kate Kilpatrick, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterant
Noun
-
Oklahoma has around 130,000 private water wells, essentially straws that drink from shallow groundwater reserves with minimal filtration, increasing the risk of contamination.—
Nick Bowlin,
The Frontier,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Prevent cross-contamination when cleaning your toilet.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Water Filters Over time, your water filters can become clogged with contaminants, Godding says.—
Jane Kim,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In October, the National Park Service began dumping debris from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House onto the golf course, the complaint said, raising concerns that the materials could contain contaminants that could pollute the air.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Compressor stations release methane and other toxic air pollutants into the community, and pose a risk of explosion.—
Susan Moynihan,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The same report found that these fires are worsening air quality in many part of the country due to wildfire smoke, which is a mixture of gases, water vapor, air pollutants and fine particulate matter.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adulterant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterant. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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