1
as in contamination
the action or process of making the environment dirty or harmful
The company designed devices to reduce the pollution of the world's oceans.
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2
as in corruption
something that makes (someone) less pure, honest, or moral
They refused to let their children play violent video games, believing that they caused pollution in a developing mind.
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pollution
Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone air pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Tuesday.
—
Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2025
However, diseases, pollution and rising ocean temperatures are taking a huge toll.
—John Otis, NPR, 5 Oct. 2025
According to multiple reports and my own observation, many other popular springs are impaired by pollution as well.
—Christopher F. Meindl, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Aerosol emissions have declined globally—partly from efforts to reduce pollution from global shipping—but absent any unified policy framework for reductions, levels could easily surge back.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2025
However, diseases, pollution and rising ocean temperatures are taking a huge toll.
—John Otis, NPR, 5 Oct. 2025
According to multiple reports and my own observation, many other popular springs are impaired by pollution as well.
—Christopher F. Meindl, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Aerosol emissions have declined globally—partly from efforts to reduce pollution from global shipping—but absent any unified policy framework for reductions, levels could easily surge back.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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Use separate cutting boards and containers to avoid cross-contamination between raw meats and fruits and vegetables.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Ready-to-eat food subject to contamination by raw animal product.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Miami’s corruption keeps us from solving our issues.—
Miami Herald Staff,
Miami Herald,
8 Oct. 2025
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The section that investigates public corruption has been gutted, while the bureau's premier public corruption unit has been disbanded.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Night after night in the dry air of Chile's Atacama Desert, fine dust and pollutants settle on the aluminum coating of the mirrors belonging to the Very Large Telescope, part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO).—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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This change limited the state's ability to secure federal funds for energy efficiency projects, address emissions of climate-warming air pollutants at a statewide level, or promote cleaner technologies that don't rely on fossil fuels.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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