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 For example, cameras assess crop ripeness and detect infestations early, allowing pesticides to be applied only to plants that need treatment. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026 California, unlike other states, has a split system of pesticide oversight. — Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
  • Investigators stressed that the poison was not the potassium cyanide used in the Tylenol murders.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Most self-help books say anger and grudges are self-defeating — there’s that line everybody uses that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 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
  • Before releasing the ferrets, scientists dust prairie dog burrows with insecticide and scatter food pellets laced with fipronil, the same chemical used in flea control among pets.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • An insecticide dust, which comes in a squeeze bottle, is another option for stubborn nests.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • His opponent is the incumbent, Mike Naig, a former lobbyist for Monsanto, the industrial giant that marketed Roundup, a weed killer that in some cases contains the controversial herbicide glyphosate.
    — Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Months before the cancer diagnoses became a public issue, Creek Team OC, a small grassroots organization, was already campaigning against herbicide spraying in local waterways, arguing chemicals were harming creek ecosystems.
    — Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Instead, the defense sought to persuade the jury that the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse was not criminally responsible because of mental disease, a rare condition called postpartum psychosis.
    — MICHAEL CASEY, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The growing range of treatment options marks a shift from seeking a cure to focusing on avoiding the disease entirely.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • If pests or diseases like fungal infections are to blame, the next step is to apply an appropriate fungicide or natural pesticide.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Select a fungicide labeled for leaf spots on ornamentals and follow the label.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • However, the brown recluse and black widow spiders do have dangerous venom.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Do not apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, or try to suck out venom.
    — Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 21 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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