performance-enhancing drug
noun
: a substance (such as an anabolic steroid, human growth hormone, or erythropoietin) that is used illicitly to improve athletic performance
In the United States, more than 1 million elite and recreational athletes use performance-enhancing drugs for muscle building purposes.—
Josiah D. Rich et al.
Josiah D. Rich et al.…33 of the 48 major and minor league players suspended by baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs since the start of 2006 were pitchers.—Sean Gregory
Sean GregoryRoger Bannister, the first person to run a subpar four-minute mile, said today he thought that increased use of blood testing could help curb the use of performance-enhancing drugs by track and field athletes.—The New York Times
—abbreviation PED
The New York TimesExamples of performance-enhancing drug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The sprinting, swimming and weightlifting event that allows athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs held its inaugural event in Las Vegas, where organizers had hyped the competition as a PED-friendly Olympics with high drama, big purses and shattered records.
—Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 30 May 2026
That record won’t go into the books, however, because the Enhanced Games, true to its name, allows performance-enhancing drugs that are banned in mainstream sports.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
The competitors can take performance-enhancing drugs.
—Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 22 May 2026
At a certain point, ideological conviction probably functions like a performance-enhancing drug.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
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Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 30 May 2026
That record won’t go into the books, however, because the Enhanced Games, true to its name, allows performance-enhancing drugs that are banned in mainstream sports.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
The competitors can take performance-enhancing drugs.
—Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 22 May 2026
At a certain point, ideological conviction probably functions like a performance-enhancing drug.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for performance-enhancing drug
Cite this Entry
“Performance-enhancing drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/performance-enhancing%20drug. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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