as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
the hospitals had no choice but to throw out the contaminated blood supply
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in poisoned
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
a supply of drinking water that was contaminated by a toxic waste dump
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contaminated
Marybel Rodriguez, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
Raw shellfish such as clams, mussels and scallops can contain pathogens picked up from contaminated water.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
The products were potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the FDA announcement.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contaminated
Adjective
Major soil removal underway Meerbott said restoring the park has become a priority as crews work to remove contaminated soil.
—Marybel Rodriguez, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
Raw shellfish such as clams, mussels and scallops can contain pathogens picked up from contaminated water.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
But glyphosate absolutely can enter our body through our food—grains and legumes are among the crops that are most likely to be contaminated with the weed killer—or from contact with surfaces.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
The products were potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the FDA announcement.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contaminated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contaminated
Adjective
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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
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The neighborhoods closest to the data center are already some of the most polluted in Denver, the organizers noted.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nicholas and three of his playmates at the day care were poisoned by the lethal opioid, which the owners stored in a nap room, officials said.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Other witnesses could include relatives of the defendant and her late husband, and friends of Eric Richins who have recounted phone conversations from the day prosecutors say he was first poisoned by his wife of nine years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Spray the door generously with cleaner or use a microfiber cloth to wet the door with the diluted vinegar mixture.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
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Clean the feeders with hot water, a hummingbird feeder brush, and a diluted vinegar solution (one part vinegar, two parts water).—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Feb. 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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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
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Chinese officials blamed the tainted test results on chemically altered food the athletes had consumed at the time.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contaminated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contaminated. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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