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
Conscientious gardeners know that pesticides carry serious risks to beneficial insects.
—
Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Adopting organic gardening techniques reduces harm to pollinators and cuts down on fertilizer and pesticide runoff.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2026
Its water level has been maintained primarily by agriculture irrigation runoff, which carries with it fertilizers, pesticides, salt and toxic metals.
—Jill Johnston, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Taller grass uses less water, out-competes weeds, and reduces the need for fertilizers or pesticides.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Adopting organic gardening techniques reduces harm to pollinators and cuts down on fertilizer and pesticide runoff.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2026
Its water level has been maintained primarily by agriculture irrigation runoff, which carries with it fertilizers, pesticides, salt and toxic metals.
—Jill Johnston, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Taller grass uses less water, out-competes weeds, and reduces the need for fertilizers or pesticides.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
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Harold Allen obituary/Ashley Jones Facebook Investigators say those thousands of texts revealed Marsha and Ashley tried to kill Harold over and over again with a variety of exotic poisons.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Italian authorities have opened a double murder investigation following the deaths of a mother and her teenage daughter following a Christmas Eve meal last year, after prosecutors said preliminary blood tests showed the pair had the poison ricin in their systems.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
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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The inspector found moldy food in the walk-in cooler, drain flies in the dry storage area and insecticide stored on a shelf near some clean dishes.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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Adaptation in Latin American mosquitoes Anopheles mosquitoes and the malaria-causing Plasmodium also occur outside Africa, where insecticide resistance is less well-researched.—
Jacob A Tennessen,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Examining the land Various former golf courses facing redevelopment in South Florida have dealt with remnants of arsenic through the decades, the result of herbicides and pesticides being used long ago, the Sun Sentinel reported in a June 2017 news article.—
Megan Vaz,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
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And preemergent herbicide applied too late after crabgrass seeds have already germinated also won't do much against these weeds.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Fox, 64, has worked for decades with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at age 29 in the early 1990s but kept private until 1998.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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For instance, there may be more car crashes, animal bites, property damage and zoonotic disease transmission.—
Daniel T. Blumstein,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Also, apply a fungicide at week two.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
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The most common was fludioxonil, a fungicide found in nearly 90% of peach and plum samples.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The very notion of national unity in a time of war seems utterly beyond this president, who follows his capricious instincts and continues, as ever, to spray venom at domestic opponents (and, for that matter, allies) when they are needed to wage and win the war.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
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Also in the rattlesnake win column, their venom has been a major source of inspiration for medical treatments, Taylor said.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Taking supporting women’s wrongs—and rights—to new levels, everyone’s favorite toxic on-screen Girl Boss duo are back for a fourth season of Industry: Harper Stern and Yasmin Kara-Hanani.—
Chloe Laws,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
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The Michigan Legislature passed a law in 2008 meant to protect the public from harmful electronic waste toxics.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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