as in contamination
something that is or that makes impure
concerned about adulterants in the town's water supply coming from the discharge from the factory
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Recent Examples of adulterant
In a letter reviewed by CBS News, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said that agency funding cannot be used to purchase test strips used to check drugs for dangerous adulterants like fentanyl, xylazine and medetomidine.
—
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Like many bath salts, NEP was often sold as Ecstasy or added to other drugs as an adulterant.
—Jonathan Corum, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Plenty of coffee drinkers enjoy medium or dark roasts, which tend to pair well with milk and other adulterants.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Other adulterants also pose potential risks, especially when consumed unknowingly.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Some products have been found to have contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria, or chemicals or adulterants not listed on the label.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 21 July 2025
In recent years, illicit drugs in the US have been cut with some high-profile and dangerous adulterants, such as the powerful veterinary sedative xylazine (aka tranq) and the yet more powerful veterinary sedative medetomidine.
—ArsTechnica, 10 July 2025
Those tests have turned up a new adulterant: an industrial chemical known as BTMPS that is used in making plastics.
—Kate Kilpatrick, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Like many bath salts, NEP was often sold as Ecstasy or added to other drugs as an adulterant.
—Jonathan Corum, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Plenty of coffee drinkers enjoy medium or dark roasts, which tend to pair well with milk and other adulterants.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Other adulterants also pose potential risks, especially when consumed unknowingly.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Some products have been found to have contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria, or chemicals or adulterants not listed on the label.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 21 July 2025
In recent years, illicit drugs in the US have been cut with some high-profile and dangerous adulterants, such as the powerful veterinary sedative xylazine (aka tranq) and the yet more powerful veterinary sedative medetomidine.
—ArsTechnica, 10 July 2025
Those tests have turned up a new adulterant: an industrial chemical known as BTMPS that is used in making plastics.
—Kate Kilpatrick, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterant
Noun
-
What’s more, handling a mummy exposes it to potential contamination from modern bacteria and fungi, further clouding the picture of its microbial makeup.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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Today, dozens of his devices have been installed in city and suburban schools, as well as in residences, but the city’s lead contamination problem is huge.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
While popular tampons contain chemical and heavy metal contaminants, menstrual cups and discs are typically made from medical grade silicone.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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Last year, Consumer Reports tested 41 formulas for contaminants such as lead and arsenic, and about half contained potentially harmful levels of at least one.—
Rachel Fobar,
Daily News,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Pollution concerns are top of mind across much of Asia but less so in many advanced economies where the most dangerous pollutants tend to be less visible.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
3 June 2026
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In the near future, environmental teams could use pocket-sized sensors to detect microscopic pollutants in real time.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adulterant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterant. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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