as in diluting
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
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Recent Examples of adulterating
This comes after Martin pled guilty to willfully poisoning or adulterating food, water or medicine, which is a felony offense in Nevada.
—
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterating
Verb
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The host acts as dead weight, occupying space without contributing any heat-storage capacity, ultimately diluting the material’s overall efficiency.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
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While cleaning vinegar is prized for its strength, experts sometimes recommend diluting it with water.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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View gallery - 4 images Electric passenger ferries offer a promising alternative to polluting fossil-fuel guzzlers given the relatively short hops these vessels need to make per trip.—
Stefan Ionescu
February 04,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2026
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Due to these conditions, the region is highly reliant on expensive and polluting diesel fuel transported by truck, plane, or barge.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the opportunity to sell Romero arises in the summer, Spurs should seriously consider cutting their losses and reinvesting the money in a more reliable defender.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Local reports said Ukrainian missiles hit a power plant and an electrical substation, cutting power to parts of the city.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adulterating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterating. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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