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
-
They are also advised by the FSIS to clean their refrigerators thoroughly to prevent possible cross-contamination.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Ocean currents then push the contamination north along the coastline.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The year after Ikezoe moved to New York, an earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused an electrical grid failure, leading the nuclear power plant in Fukushima to release radioactive contaminants in the surrounding region.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
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By eliminating those contaminants, the researchers were able to observe a much clearer relationship between anion size and CO2 adsorption performance.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
“Adulterant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterant. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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