mutagen
noun
mu·ta·gen
ˈmyü-tə-jən 
: an agent (such as a chemical or various radiations) that tends to increase the frequency or extent of mutation
Examples of mutagen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to the studies the EPA reviewed in that analysis, chloroprene is probably a mutagen—an agent that can damage DNA or trigger genetic mutations.
—
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Mar. 2025
Radiation is not unlike a lot of mutagens and other kinds of events that damage your DNA or damage your body’s immune system.
—Nicholas Stfleur, STAT, 16 Feb. 2024
Cigarette smoke certainly contains mutagens—more than sixty have been identified—and, by extension, carcinogens.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023
Fifteen years after swimming in some experimental mutagen ooze as baby turtles, Mikey (Shamon Brown Jr.), Donnie (Micah Abbey), Raph (Brady Noon) and Leo (Nicolas Cantu) live in the sewers with overprotective rat dad Splinter (Jackie Chan).
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 31 July 2023
The third treatment, molnupiravir, has not shown high efficacy and has the additional drawback, as a mutagen for SARS-CoV-2, of speeding the creation of new and more viral forms of the virus.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 13 Apr. 2022
Meanwhile at Kaer Morhen: Rience portals in, attacks Vesemir and Triss, and portals away after stealing the witcher mutagen made from Ciri’s Elder blood.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2021
That theory was born out more or less at concentrations of the mutagen below 100 mM.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 Jan. 2011
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Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Mar. 2025
Radiation is not unlike a lot of mutagens and other kinds of events that damage your DNA or damage your body’s immune system.
—Nicholas Stfleur, STAT, 16 Feb. 2024
Cigarette smoke certainly contains mutagens—more than sixty have been identified—and, by extension, carcinogens.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023
Fifteen years after swimming in some experimental mutagen ooze as baby turtles, Mikey (Shamon Brown Jr.), Donnie (Micah Abbey), Raph (Brady Noon) and Leo (Nicolas Cantu) live in the sewers with overprotective rat dad Splinter (Jackie Chan).
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 31 July 2023
The third treatment, molnupiravir, has not shown high efficacy and has the additional drawback, as a mutagen for SARS-CoV-2, of speeding the creation of new and more viral forms of the virus.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 13 Apr. 2022
Meanwhile at Kaer Morhen: Rience portals in, attacks Vesemir and Triss, and portals away after stealing the witcher mutagen made from Ciri’s Elder blood.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2021
That theory was born out more or less at concentrations of the mutagen below 100 mM.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 Jan. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Mutagen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutagen. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mutagen
noun
mu·ta·gen
ˈmyüt-ə-jən
: a substance (as a chemical or various radiations) that tends to increase the frequency or extent of mutation
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