smog

noun

\ ˈsmäg

How to pronounce smog (audio)

, ˈsmȯg\

Definition of smog

: a fog made heavier and darker by smoke and chemical fumes also : a photochemical haze caused by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation on atmosphere polluted with hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen especially from automobile exhaust

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Examples of smog in a Sentence

the city's smog was once so bad that darkness often prevailed, even at noon

Recent Examples on the Web

Many forests are burning, smog and smoke are observed over many populated areas. — Washington Post, "Russian military called in to fight Siberian forest fires," 31 July 2019 For decades, the smog-prone state has had a waiver allowing it to set more stringent fuel-efficiency guidelines than federal law calls for. — Kate Cox, Ars Technica, "Car makers, California agree to emissions rules Trump admin is trying to kill," 25 July 2019 Heat and sunshine trigger chemical reactions that produce smog. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland weather: ‘Excessive heat warning’ in effect; conditions prompt event cancellations, system failure," 20 July 2019 Air quality officials also issued an ozone advisory for the South Coast Air Basin through Tuesday morning, saying that the heat will combine with atmospheric inversions to trap smog pollution close to the ground. — Alex Wigglesworth, latimes.com, "Worst of Southern California heat wave and smog hit Saturday," 13 July 2019 As of ten years ago, apartments in various atrophied East Berlin neighborhoods had smog-emitting wood-burning stoves and shared water closets in the hallways. — Elisabeth Zerofsky, The New Yorker, "The Causes and Consequences of Berlin’s Rapid Gentrification," 12 July 2019 Congress for decades has granted California authority to set its own, tougher mileage standards as a way of fighting the state's chronic smog. — CBS News, "23 governors back California pledge to oppose Trump mileage freeze," 9 July 2019 Urban dwellers who encounter daily pollution (hello, car exhaust, soot, and smog) would do well to keep a daily protective skin treatment close at hand. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "9 Fall Skin-Care Products For a Filter-Free Glow," 27 Sep. 2018 The war on smog has been called one of America’s greatest environmental successes. — latimes.com, "Today: ‘Hong Kong People Are Desperate’," 2 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'smog.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near smog

Statistics for smog

Last Updated

11 Aug 2019

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Time Traveler for smog

The first known use of smog was in 1881

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More Definitions for smog

smog

noun

English Language Learners Definition of smog

: fog mixed with smoke : a cloud of dirty air from cars, factories, etc., that is usually found in cities

See the full definition for smog in the English Language Learners Dictionary

smog

noun

\ ˈsmäg

\

Kids Definition of smog

: a fog made heavier and thicker by the action of sunlight on polluted air

smog

noun

\ ˈsmäg also ˈsmȯg\

Medical Definition of smog

: a fog made heavier and darker by smoke and chemical fumes also : a photochemical haze caused by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation on atmosphere polluted with hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen especially from automobile exhaust

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