chemtrail

noun

chem·​trail ˈkem-ˌtrāl How to pronounce chemtrail (audio)
plural chemtrails
: a long-lasting airplane contrail believed to be composed of harmful chemical or biological agents that are dispersed as part of a conspiracy (as to manipulate the environment or the population)
In a … study of the public's belief in conspiracy theories, … 12% said world governments use chemtrails to secretly poison their people.Chas Newkey-Burden
Airplane contrails have probably gotten more than their fair share of attention over the years. In particular, they've provided consistent fodder for conspiracy theorists convinced that condensation trails are actually "chemtrails" resulting from secret government chemical spraying programs.Earth Island Journal
According to myriad conspiracy theories, some of those "harmless" vapors are instead sinister "chemtrails." … Some say the cloudy lines are part of government weather-controlling experiments; others say that they're a form of germ warfare.Benjamin Radford

Examples of chemtrail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But in Florida democracy, a majority is less than a whiff of a puff of a nonexistent chemtrail. Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026 Out with her partner, Helen (Miriam Shor), one evening, Carol notices aircraft dumping chemtrails overhead, a curiosity that leads, moments later, to Helen’s death and that of nearly a billion people worldwide. Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 28 Nov. 2025 Conspiracy theorists say that contrails – long streaks of condensation left by aircraft – are actually chemtrails, clouds of chemical or biological agents dumped on the unsuspecting public for nefarious purposes. Calum Lister Matheson, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025 Delany, who was ousted in August from HHS, said Kennedy has expressed strong interest in chemtrails. Stephanie Armour, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025 Conspiracies, chemtrails and sabotage In the 1990s, Betterton was researching cloud seeding along the Mogollon Rim. Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 17 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chemtrail was in 1990

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Cite this Entry

“Chemtrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chemtrail. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

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