as in polluting
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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Recent Examples of contaminating
Just as Cassini was sent into Saturn at the end of its mission to avoid contaminating Saturn’s moons with any stowaway organics brought from Earth, so too will Juno be brought to an end by forcing it to plunge into a gas giant world.
—
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
The compression system inside is genius, and the sectioned divider keeps my dirty clothes from contaminating the rest of my items (major win).
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Other factors have also played a role in contaminating beaches, including increasingly severe weather that overwhelms sewage systems, and suburban sprawl that paves over natural areas and reduces the ecosystem’s ability to absorb stormwater, Rumpler said.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
In 2022, after years of mismanagement at the Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility ended up contaminating Hawaii’s water supply, the Department of Defense shut down the obsolete, World War II-era fuel depot.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Mineral mining risks contaminating groundwater The demand for critical minerals, like lithium, cobalt, copper and nickel is growing due to the transition towards cleaner technologies, which use them.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The Shawnee Mission School District had to temporarily close the doors of one of its schools at the end of last school year because roof repairs led to chemical odors contaminating the building.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Toxic pollutants such as arsenic, lead, mercury and chromium are contaminating the groundwater at the Eagle Valley site in Martinsville then migrating offsite from containment ponds — a violation of federal coal ash rules, the Hoosier Environment Council says.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 5 Aug. 2025
After the attack, the yogurt shop was burned down by the perpetrators, contaminating much of the evidence.
—EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
The compression system inside is genius, and the sectioned divider keeps my dirty clothes from contaminating the rest of my items (major win).
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Other factors have also played a role in contaminating beaches, including increasingly severe weather that overwhelms sewage systems, and suburban sprawl that paves over natural areas and reduces the ecosystem’s ability to absorb stormwater, Rumpler said.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
In 2022, after years of mismanagement at the Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility ended up contaminating Hawaii’s water supply, the Department of Defense shut down the obsolete, World War II-era fuel depot.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Mineral mining risks contaminating groundwater The demand for critical minerals, like lithium, cobalt, copper and nickel is growing due to the transition towards cleaner technologies, which use them.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The Shawnee Mission School District had to temporarily close the doors of one of its schools at the end of last school year because roof repairs led to chemical odors contaminating the building.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Toxic pollutants such as arsenic, lead, mercury and chromium are contaminating the groundwater at the Eagle Valley site in Martinsville then migrating offsite from containment ponds — a violation of federal coal ash rules, the Hoosier Environment Council says.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 5 Aug. 2025
After the attack, the yogurt shop was burned down by the perpetrators, contaminating much of the evidence.
—EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contaminating
Verb
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The technology ideally should be used for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as cement production, aviation and agriculture, rather than to extend the life of polluting power plants or to prolong the use of oil and gas, Koberle said.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Stop polluting and give them stable, growing economies in which to be raised.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Beyond the broader ecological catastrophes that await us, wildfires harm people with smoke that can travel hundreds of kilometers from the source fire, poisoning people with small particles and a portfolio of toxins.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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In the mid-1890s, her former landlords Israel and Lovey Dunham died after sudden illnesses; Toppan later acknowledged poisoning them, according to Boston Magazine.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contaminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contaminating. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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