pesticide

Definition of pesticidenext
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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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 pesticide Farmers can still use natural pesticides, rather than synthetic versions, on organic crops. — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 3 Nov. 2026 Fittingly, the hotel takes great care to disrupt its surroundings as little as possible; a geothermal well services the property’s heating and cooling, and plants that draw mosquito-eating birds are used in place of pesticides. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026 The whole issue and the use of pesticides has become normalized. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026 Each has its own requirements for growing conditions, and many still require using pesticides for optimum growth. — Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
  • The poison center data showed 233 deaths over the decade, most of which involved other substances like opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and alcohol.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 6 Nov. 2026
  • When this disintegration occurs, toxic components of the muscle fibers can enter the circulatory system and kidneys, which can cause kidney damage, essentially acting as poison to the body.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Researchers found that 40% of the 97 participants had higher concentrations of a toxicant associated with the defunct LCP Chemicals plant than the national average.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 June 2026
  • The ash from open burning can also contaminate soil and groundwater with persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and other toxicants, creating more chances for people to be exposed to them through food and water.
    — Ellen M. Considine, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Kafle Bhatt was lying on her back surrounded by vomit containing pills, blood and an open packet of Celphos, a highly toxic insecticide, close by.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2026
  • In Malabo, Bioko’s biggest city, a team of men and women equipped with insecticide sprayers squeezed between low-rise cement buildings on a recent morning, as heavy rain drummed on aluminum roofs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Crabgrass may need to be dug or pulled from the lawn during winter in preparation for a February preemergence herbicide application.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Means pointed to the fight over glyphosate, an herbicide many MAHA advocates argued causes grave health consequences.
    — Daniel Payne, STAT, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Along with treatment for eligible accidents and illnesses, the policy covers veterinary exam fees, hereditary and congenital conditions, dental diseases, behavioral issues and alternative therapies.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • There have been periods when the human population declined because of wars or epidemics, such as the Black Death, in the fourteenth century, or the diseases brought by Europeans to the Americas in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
    — Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • One product contained the soil fungicide etridiazole, a likely carcinogen not widely known to cannabis safety professionals, in amounts 125 times higher than what would trigger safety testing under federal tobacco standards.
    — Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Both can be treated by improving soil structure, enhancing drainage, adjusting watering practices, or treating affected plants with a fungicide, says Vasylchyshyna.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 26 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Bond said the quarter-sized spider lives in fragmented coastal dunes from the Bay Area to Monterey, and compounds in its venom could have potential as painkillers or in pest control.
    — The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The researchers think this compound, possibly adapted from ant venom, makes the lizards’ blood taste foul.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 1 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • In late May, about 50,000 people in Orange County were evacuated because, at a Garden Grove site operated by GKN Aerospace, tanks holding a volatile hazardous chemical called methyl methacrylate were at risk of exploding or leaking toxics.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • Munoz is an independent toxicologist working in collaboration with MAHA against pesticides and toxics.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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