as in poison
a chemical that is used to kill animals or insects that damage plants or crops
The family farm has gradually moved away from the use of pesticides.
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Recent Examples of pesticide
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in three parts in the magazine in 1962 and later as a book, alerted the country to the devastation of the pesticide DDT and is credited with launching the modern environmental movement.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
In an interview, Maxsenti said that agenda also includes preventing the pesticide industry from being able to create liability shields.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Spray in the Evening Careful timing of pesticide applications can also help protect non-target organisms.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
This was largely due to habitat loss and the pesticide DDT, which caused eagle eggshells to become too brittle to survive incubation.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
In an interview, Maxsenti said that agenda also includes preventing the pesticide industry from being able to create liability shields.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Spray in the Evening Careful timing of pesticide applications can also help protect non-target organisms.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
This was largely due to habitat loss and the pesticide DDT, which caused eagle eggshells to become too brittle to survive incubation.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
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Burning forests poisons the atmosphere.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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In 2023, a barred owl known as Owen was rescued near Boston’s Faneuil Hall after ingesting rat poison.—
Nara Schoenberg,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In the 1970s, Claudia Miller, an allergist and environmental scientist, was studying how toxicants affect people in industrial settings and began noticing strange symptoms emerging after certain kinds of chemical exposures.—
Kate Raphael,
Discover Magazine,
23 June 2025
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Then, using a simulation, the team found that the warmth and weight of the sleeping child could increase the off-gassing of the toxicants.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And some travelers, especially those going to the Maldives, Australia, and other countries that spray insecticide and disinfectant on arriving flights, wrap their luggage in plastic to protect their contents from the chemicals.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Sep. 2025
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Look for clothing and gear treated with permethrin, an insecticide.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The forest preserves offer various resources online about how to remove buckthorn, including herbicides.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
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In addition, many e-cigarettes contain acrolein, which is a herbicide used to kill weeds and is linked to the development of lung cancer.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This isn’t the first study to suggest the importance of breakfast for living a long life—research has shown that regularly eating a morning meal is linked with lower overall and heart-related mortality (and that bypassing it can up your heart-disease risk).—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
4 Sep. 2025
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Yet America’s system is transactional, rewarding affluence while neglecting the very conditions that produce disease.—
Stan Chu Ilo,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Application of a turf fungicide is recommended as leaf spots and root rot are very common with new sod due to the frequent watering and rains.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
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Unless your entire yard is covered with mushrooms, applying a commercial or DIY fungicide is not recommended.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Victims of a snake bite are advised not to try to remove the venom themselves or to tie off the bite area.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Wolf spider bites are not poisonous and won't cause sores or body-wide symptoms from its venom.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Just last week, for example, the Trump administration, through its Environmental Protection Agency, proposed to withdraw two rules imposing air toxics and greenhouse gas limits on fossil-fuel power plants.—
Wayne Messam,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2025
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The politics at Oakland Unified have moved from contentious to outright toxic in the past two years, with the board split on key votes around financial decisions.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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