as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
some evil person was leaving out poisonous meat for neighborhood dogs to eat
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Recent Examples of poisonous
And when that fish, in turn, succumbs to the claws of a bald eagle, its DDT dense meat becomes a poisonous lunch for an oblivious bird.
—
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
Lee says the government is losing chemists, toxicologists, engineers and others who ensure drugs and medical devices are safe and effective and food ingredients aren't poisonous.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
After meeting a whistleblower (Taylour Paige) aiming to reveal the company’s poisonous shenanigans, Winston runs afoul of punk-band baddies who toss him and his radioactive mop into a toxic-waste pool, and the reluctant superdude becomes a popular folk hero standing up for the people who need him.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Others are poisonous or cause skin irritations.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
Lee says the government is losing chemists, toxicologists, engineers and others who ensure drugs and medical devices are safe and effective and food ingredients aren't poisonous.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
After meeting a whistleblower (Taylour Paige) aiming to reveal the company’s poisonous shenanigans, Winston runs afoul of punk-band baddies who toss him and his radioactive mop into a toxic-waste pool, and the reluctant superdude becomes a popular folk hero standing up for the people who need him.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Others are poisonous or cause skin irritations.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisonous
Adjective
-
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
28 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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Wilson and Webbon told USA TODAY that scripture provides safeguards against toxic behavior.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
-
An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the Mayo Clinic, 911 or local emergency authorities should be contacted immediately after a venomous snake bite.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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During the search, multiple venomous snakes and animals were seized.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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