disinfectant

noun

Definition of disinfectantnext
as in solvent

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disinfectant Wipe up spills and splashes from the toilet’s exterior and the floor with a disinfectant and paper towels. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026 This week in 1865, Joseph Lister became the first surgeon to perform an antiseptic operation with liberal use of carbolic acid (phenol) as a disinfectant. — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026 Using a disinfectant on a surface still covered with grease, grime or chicken slime will keep the chemical from reaching — and killing — the germs underneath unless the surface is first thoroughly cleaned. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 As is so often the case, sunlight could be the best disinfectant. — Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disinfectant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disinfectant
  1. solvent
  2. soap
Noun
  • Neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium then undergo a 15-stage solvent separation process before individual oxides are precipitated.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The dream of creating an honest consensus now works as a kind of acid, a solvent dismantling the capacity for coordination.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of solvent
Noun
  • Hill had been sent out for a role in 1987 on the soap Santa Barbara, only to learn upon arrival that the part was a Nicaraguan nun.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Spanish bluebells contain saponins, which smell and taste like soap, as well as poisonous cardiac glycosides.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of soap

Browse Nearby Words

disinfect
disinfectant
disinfectants
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Cite this Entry

“Disinfectant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disinfectant. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on disinfectant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about disinfectant

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