as in virus
sickness that can be passed from one person, plant, or animal to another
The rumors spread like a contagion.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contagion
While the current study centered on behavior, Peng hopes to explore how internal states arise and move between individuals, including the neural pathways that might support contagion.
—
New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025
More than holding captive audiences for hours at a time, streamers’ main output comes from clips — moments on stream that get spliced and repackaged for maximum contagion across social feeds.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025
Its most gripping, least typical chapter describes an outbreak in breathlessly suspenseful detail, tracking the contagion from Alexandria, where a shipworker has a fateful encounter with a monkey’s fleas, all the way to England and, eventually, the Shakespeares’ doorstep.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
Religious and civic leaders must speak candidly about the costs of this new social contagion.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contagion
New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025
More than holding captive audiences for hours at a time, streamers’ main output comes from clips — moments on stream that get spliced and repackaged for maximum contagion across social feeds.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025
Its most gripping, least typical chapter describes an outbreak in breathlessly suspenseful detail, tracking the contagion from Alexandria, where a shipworker has a fateful encounter with a monkey’s fleas, all the way to England and, eventually, the Shakespeares’ doorstep.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
Religious and civic leaders must speak candidly about the costs of this new social contagion.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contagion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contagion
Noun
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The antiretroviral medication greatly reduces the chance of getting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.—
Zach Dyer,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The virus is always circulating.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Crucially, the eggs were fittingly fluffy, none of that rubbery nonsense that plague lesser burrito slingers.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
6 Nov. 2025
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Now the government is out to quash this plague of poor decision making.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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These symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, confusion, loss of balance or seizures.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Symptoms can include swelling in the neck or armpit, fatigue, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and feeling full quickly.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contagion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contagion. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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