Thesaurus results for GERMS

germs

noun

plural of germ

as in origins

the source from which something grows or develops this hastily scribbled equation on a cocktail napkin became the germ of a new scientific theory

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 germs How Zinc and Echinacea Affect Your Immune System The mineral zinc is involved in both the body's general immune responses (the innate immune system) and the specialized defenses the body develops after exposure to specific germs (the adaptive immune system). —

Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2026 And even after a deep cleaning, a sponge will still contain germs that can thrive because of the perpetually moist environment. —

Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026 The crew has been in medical quarantine since March 18 to protect their voyage from hitchhiking germs. —

Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026 Why tire himself out, become completely exhausted and out of breath, crumple up the bedsheets that were changed just a few days ago, get someone else’s germs all over himself, and then reek of sweat afterward? —

Agnieszka Szpila, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Those were the germs of The Comeback. —

Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2026 The aluminum lining also makes cleanup easy—just wipe it down—and helps guard against bacteria and germs. —

Sarah Han, Allure, 15 Mar. 2026 Since many pregnant and postpartum women either struggle with or are recovering from a weak immune system, even germs from sources as innocuous as a bidet can prove irritating. —

Ethan Stone, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026 When cleaning protocols break down, those germs can spread rapidly in close quarters. —

Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for germs

Noun

The origins of the film, like the film itself, lay in both personal and cinematic history.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
The festival's origins stretch back to the Roman festival of Floralia, which was held to celebrate the goddess of spring and fertility and has been reinvented numerous times in the centuries that followed, according to the National Trust.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026