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
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Recent Examples of pollution
The effect was enhanced by the erosion caused by a century of pollution on the sandstone, which was originally obtained from Montjuïc.
—
D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
The study, released in August, shows steel mills released more than two million pounds of hazardous air pollution in 2023.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Sep. 2025
In fact, only about 50% of nitrogen applied as fertilizer is taken up by crops; the rest runs off into waterways as nitrate pollution or is eaten by microbes, some of which turn it into nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
—Katherine Bourzac, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
These areas are where wildlife in the depths can thrive—protected from lawlessness and the impacts of overfishing, pollution, and shipping, plus newer threats like deep-sea mining.
—Bonnie Tsui, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
The study, released in August, shows steel mills released more than two million pounds of hazardous air pollution in 2023.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Sep. 2025
In fact, only about 50% of nitrogen applied as fertilizer is taken up by crops; the rest runs off into waterways as nitrate pollution or is eaten by microbes, some of which turn it into nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
—Katherine Bourzac, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
These areas are where wildlife in the depths can thrive—protected from lawlessness and the impacts of overfishing, pollution, and shipping, plus newer threats like deep-sea mining.
—Bonnie Tsui, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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Lithium batteries, other toxic material elevate risk Rahn pointed to lithium batteries in electric vehicles as a new source of contamination, which historically wasn’t a major concern.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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And if there's a bite mark, chances are some contamination has happened because animals can carry bacteria and parasites in their saliva.—
Amy Brightfield,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The tech giant has built in a feature called Memory Integrity Enforcement, which is designed to stop attacks targeting memory corruption bugs, often exploited by spyware developers and phone forensic tools used by law enforcement, TechCrunch reports.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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The rise is coupled with major political shifts in the country following the election of President Bernardo Arévalo, who vowed to fight corruption, tackle inequality, and rectify the discrimination against Indigenous Peoples after years of democratic erosion and corruption.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Understanding how pollutants like microplastics affect apex predators is essential because disruptions at this level could be catastrophic.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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The study, which will wrap up next year at the earliest, aims to help researchers find relationships between pollutants and health.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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