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
Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
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
Naloxone, the active drug in Narcan, is only effective on opioids and not on stimulants like cocaine, which would suggest the substance Dick used was adulterated with an opiate such as fentanyl.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
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
-
Once guided by stars across the Empty Quarter, Emiratis now live under one of the world’s most light-polluted skies, prompting new dark-sky policies and growing concern over disappearing night.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
The emergency overflow meant untreated water and polluted stormwater discharged directly into the river.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
In light of the ruling, a federal appeals court is allowing Alabama to use a state Senate map approved by Republican lawmakers in this year's election instead of one imposed by a federal judge who found the state had diluted the voting power of Black residents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
Once that language is diluted by objectives other than measuring income and production, economic debates become less coherent and public decision-making less reliable.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
By gaining new traits, these altered organisms might pose a novel invasion threat to Earth, if introduced through the transfer and insecure containment of contaminated samples.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
3 June 2026
-
Produce grown using contaminated water may also pose exposure risks.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
But dwarf galaxies are smaller and colder, with more dilute and slower-moving matter.—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
6 May 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
People can contract a diarrheal infection from tainted food or water, with symptoms most often beginning three to four days after contact with the bacteria.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
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While Liang seeks to distance the company from the tainted elements, Supermicro’s longer-term fate may hinge on whether Nvidia stays close or decides to keep its distance.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The explosion came on the eve of New Glenn's fourth launch from Cape Canaveral following a mission in April that ended with mixed results.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Johnson County Parks and Recreation is hosting the inaugural KC Unity Cup, a 7v7 adult mixed gender soccer tournament on June 6 and 7.—
Emily Harter,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The observation contradicted the normal tendency of mixed materials to remain blended.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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The blended family spent Thanksgiving together in November 2025, People reported, with the proud mom sharing a snap to her Instagram Stories of her two sons and Cowell relaxing on a boat.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adulterated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterated. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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