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 Then, remember, not all pests even require a pesticide, organic or not, to be eradicated. Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026 Don't Use Pesticide on Beetle Grubs Using pesticides to treat beetle grubs (which become June bugs) is not a good strategy to keep skunks away, says Fyffe, because of those insects' essential role in the ecosystem. Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026 The justices are deciding whether a federal law regulating pesticides prevents Roundup users from suing Bayer in state court. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 June 2026 Traditional mosquito control often depends on pesticides. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
  • America’s youth have been increasingly abusing common over-the-counter medications, according to poison center records.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
  • So the question is why and how our moment of—pick your poison—late capitalism, permanent emergency, the death of the Anthropocene—has turned to an old form to describe the oxymoronic simultaneity of pathos and bathos, horror and the risible.
    Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 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
  • One active ingredient is spinosad, a natural insecticide approved by the USDA for use in organic gardening.
    Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 17 June 2026
  • If needed, a general garden insecticide made for use on ornamental plants would control the ants and scale following label instructions.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • Suddenly, chemical and pharmaceutical companies saw opportunities to earn money by engineering specific traits, such as herbicide tolerance, into key crop plants, including corn, soybeans, cotton and canola, and patenting those varieties.
    Julie Dawson, The Conversation, 23 June 2026
  • The letter makes presumptions about herbicides and pesticides that do not line up with its proposal outlined on a website detailing the training center project, the statement said.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
Noun
  • Speaking with Seacoast Online, part of the USA TODAY Network, three years after his diagnosis, Hall said the symptoms of the disease can come and go.
    Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 25 June 2026
  • While bedbugs are not known to spread or transmit disease, the Environmental Protection Agency considers the parasitic insects a pest that can cause other public health issues such as allergic reactions, secondary infections and mental health impacts on those living in infested homes.
    William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • Use a fungicide if needed and reduce humidity around the plant.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 22 June 2026
  • One is boscalid, the systemic endocrine-disrupting fungicide that the EPA is reevaluating.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • One common misconception is that lionfish are inedible because of their venom.
    Rachel Nuwer, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 June 2026
  • Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis have been reported in patients using bee venom therapy.
    Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • At the same time, the Trump administration has taken steps to roll back regulations on emissions from industrial facilities, such as mercury and other toxics emitted from coal plants.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
  • Portside residents face higher cancer risk from air toxics than 93% of the nation.
    Jose Franco Garcia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2026

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“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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