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
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was dead against the idea, with his club arguing that breaking the traditional home and away format adulterated the competition, while also expressing concern over participating teams gaining a financial advantage.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 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
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
Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was dead against the idea, with his club arguing that breaking the traditional home and away format adulterated the competition, while also expressing concern over participating teams gaining a financial advantage.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adulterated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterated
Adjective
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Instead of this stuff that's raised overseas that's done in ways that doesn't have any checks, that it's got polluted water, it's being fed really nasty stuff, full of antibiotics, full of chemicals.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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Instead of adding external chemicals or excavating polluted layers, the soil itself becomes a dynamic system capable of regenerating its quality over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Department of Justice sued Texas in 2021, alleging its maps diluted minority voting power, but the case ended before any ruling.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
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Bleach should never be used on a mattress, even if it's diluted.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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McKinney’s company was recently suspended from the city's demolition program for allegedly filling sites with contaminated dirt obtained from the redevelopment of Northland Mall.—
Violet Ikonomova,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The new advisory follows recent testing in eastern Kennebec and western Waldo counties, which showed that deer and turkey sampled from areas near contaminated soil had PFAS concentrations in muscle tissue high enough to warrant a public health warning.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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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The mother of a 30-year-old teacher in Oklahoma is blaming a restaurant’s tainted margarita for her daughter’s unexpected death.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
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The British government recently added eight countries to its list of travel warnings related to the risk of methanol poisoning from tainted alcohol.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Participants can sculpt with air-dry clay, paint on canvas, or craft a collage or mixed-media piece such as a design vision board.—
Staff Author,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
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The experience left them with mixed emotions.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The pigment, which runs on existing indigo lines, also protects elastane and blended constructions and achieves washdown with less heat and chemistry.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
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It’s made with blended cotton, giving the style a bit of movement with a soft, airy feel.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adulterated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterated. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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