as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
the outbreak of food poisoning was traced to adulterated ground beef
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in diluted
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
the company was fined for adulterating its "all beef" frankfurters with cereal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adulterated
chicagotribune.com, 9 Dec. 2021
Navarro and Rhein pleaded guilty to their roles in the distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2021
Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 15 Dec. 2025
Fruits, leafy greens and other produce can become adulterated with listeria through fecal contamination, which can occur through wastewater, water in the growing area, fertilizer and the proximity of said growing area to livestock, USA TODAY previously reported.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adulterated
Adjective
Brasch, 61, of Skokie, is specifically charged with receipt in interstate commerce and delivery of an adulterated device, the release said.
—chicagotribune.com, 9 Dec. 2021
Navarro and Rhein pleaded guilty to their roles in the distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2021
Verb
Some olive oils are adulterated, meaning that other substances may be added to them to lower their quality—and often manufacturing costs—while increasing the amount in the bottle.
—Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 15 Dec. 2025
Fruits, leafy greens and other produce can become adulterated with listeria through fecal contamination, which can occur through wastewater, water in the growing area, fertilizer and the proximity of said growing area to livestock, USA TODAY previously reported.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adulterated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterated
Adjective
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Founded by Aurelie Fontan, Meredith Wood and Christopher Ferguson in the United Kingdom, the approach extracts natural pigments from plants grown on polluted land while contributing to soil restoration.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Their waterways are polluted and undrinkable, yet citizens still wash their clothes and utensils in them.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Israel's plants mix that water back into the Mediterranean, where it's diluted enough to not endanger aquatic life.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
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Yes, when diluted and used with a damp cloth, not soaking wet.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The company later recovered more than 888,000 gallons of contaminated fuel that had mixed with other gasoline already in the tanks.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Much of the last decade has been spent trying to stabilize the facility, containing radiation within the reactors and reducing the amount of contaminated water on site.—
Yusuke Maekawa,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Second, a dilute hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining lithium and the transition metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
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For example, Wilson’s team is exploring whether dilute acids speed up weathering.—
Robert F. Service,
Science | AAAS,
3 Sep. 2020
Adjective
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Those officers are no longer allowed to testify in criminal court cases because of their tainted reputation.—
Dave Savini,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Corruption scandals have brought down several people in Zelensky’s inner circle, including his former business partner Timur Mindich and his long-time right-hand man Andriy Yermak, leading some observers to question whether Zelensky had a tendency to over-rely on tainted allies.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The seedlings and saplings are mostly knee-high to chest-high and mixed with thickets of ceanothus and other post-fire brush growing amid the true giants that stand dead among them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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The verdict was mixed, but the defendants were convicted on a majority of the 65 total counts.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The system is designed to separate and recover polyester and cellulose from end-of-life textiles—materials that are notoriously difficult to recycle due to their blended composition.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Mar. 2026
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More than half of all Americans have either been or will be included in a blended family during their lifetimes, with 1,300 new stepfamilies forming every day, according to nonprofit The Stepfamily Foundation.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adulterated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterated. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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