Synonyms of contaminates

contaminates

verb

present tense third-person singular of contaminate

as in pollutes

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pollutes
• poisons
• taints
• defiles
• infects
• befouls
• soils
• dirties
• fouls
• sullies
• stains
• smudges
• dilutes
• besmirches
• adulterates
• corrupts
• rots
• blackens
• muddies
• mires
• fouls up
• spoils
• waters down
• grimes
• begrimes
• smirches
• doctors

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• purifies
• cleans
• clarifies
• cleanses
• clears
• purges
• decontaminates
• distills
• filters
• sterilizes
• disinfects
• sanitizes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contaminates

It’s spread through the fecal-oral route, meaning human poop contaminates food, and once eaten, that food makes people sick. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 20 July 2026

The disease is caused by a parasite that contaminates fresh produce and can cause days of watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea. — Kendall Staton, Washington Post, 17 July 2026

The parasite, which often contaminates produce like lettuce and berries, can be sometimes difficult to wash off. — Terry Collins, USA Today, 15 July 2026

While water salinity isn't a major issue in most regulated urban water systems, Gupta said the concern mainly applies in coastal and low-lying regions where saltwater intrusion contaminates groundwater, increasing sodium concentrations in drinking water. — Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 11 May 2026

The practice contaminates the legal supply chain, threatens public health, and erases tax liability, industry insiders and officials say. — Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

Putting even a small piece of trash in the recycling stream or non-compostable items in the compost bin can require additional effort to re-sort at processing facilities, which increases costs and energy usage, or contaminates the entire process altogether, ultimately creating more trash. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026

This act contaminates the water, kills all the fish, and makes the water non-potable. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026

This plastic contaminates the paper, complicating recyclability and impacting biodegradability. — Etiido Uko march 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026