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
Now, rising temperatures and carbon dioxide pollution are contributing to worsened pollen seasons across the country.
—
Keerti Gopal, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
But due to its age, the plant isn’t equipped with most modern pollution controls and can be linked to more than 300 premature deaths per year, according to a recent Sierra Club and Clean Air Task Force analysis of EPA data.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 8 May 2026
In some communities, the industry has brought jobs, but also pollution; in others, the industry faces resistance.
—NPR, 7 May 2026
One of the top issues facing our district is Tijuana River Valley pollution.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Keerti Gopal, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
But due to its age, the plant isn’t equipped with most modern pollution controls and can be linked to more than 300 premature deaths per year, according to a recent Sierra Club and Clean Air Task Force analysis of EPA data.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 8 May 2026
In some communities, the industry has brought jobs, but also pollution; in others, the industry faces resistance.
—NPR, 7 May 2026
One of the top issues facing our district is Tijuana River Valley pollution.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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For this reason, many food safety experts recommend using a non-wooden cutting board for raw meat and poultry to reduce cross-contamination.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
4 May 2026
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An area of Cuesta Park was without water after a mistake at a construction site caused water contamination.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Years later, drawn into a covert network of operatives and manipulated through a web of corruption, Clay must decide whether to become the weapon he was shaped to be or dismantle the system from within.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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He was also charged in another foreign corruption case in the same court in late 2024.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The work also points toward a potential circular manufacturing model in which waste plastics and spent battery acid are reused to create high-value chemicals instead of becoming environmental pollutants.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
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And while the law largely governs toxins, the rollback has also undermined action on climate change, including repealing the legal theory used to classify greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide as regulated pollutants.—
Mark Olalde,
ProPublica,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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