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 It is not grown with herbicides or pesticides to ensure quality and safety. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026 Alongside calls for research on cell-phone-signal effects on health and vaccine injuries, the report went light on investigating pesticides and the food industry, disappointing some environmental figures. Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026 The same chemicals found in pipes, pesticides and floor tiles are also present in some wigs, braiding hair and hair extensions, a new study published Wednesday in the journal Environment & Health found. Claretta Bellamy, NBC news, 12 Feb. 2026 Researchers also found flame retardants, phthalates, pesticides, and other compounds that have been associated in prior studies with hormone disruption, weakened immunity, and developmental concerns. Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
  • The pilot program was started after two endangered owls died from eating rat poison.
    Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • What is the history of Russia’s use of poison?
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • If the infestation calls for an insecticide, lower toxicity ones such as horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps can provide control with little residual effects.
    Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Heat and insecticide together may require several rounds of treatment in order to completely eradicate a bed bug infestation, especially more severe ones.
    Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Some people like to apply pre-emergent herbicide in spring to deter weeds; this will also deter grass seed germination.
    Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 2026
  • The company already has paid more than $10 billion in verdicts and settlements over the herbicide.
    Bloomberg, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • After whooping cough vaccinations declined in Dallas County over the last year, the preventable disease spiked to the highest numbers of infections officials have seen in over a decade, Huang said.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Harm reduction can encompass a range of practices, including handing out free needles to slow the spread of disease, and many local leaders credit some of those efforts with recent drops in fatal overdoses.
    Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • If your hydrangea gets a fungus, don’t spray it with fungicide, Hirvela says.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Generally, fungicides won’t effectively get rid of sooty mold, but sometimes horticultural oil sprays used to treat overwintering scale or crawlers can help to speed up its removal.
    Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The Mad Monarch of Mar-a-Lago is ridiculed worldwide as the babbling fool and face of Satan whose venom is deadly and far-reaching.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Then their own mother turned venom against them, the object of their wounding telling them that the shape of their wounds was never really there.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • East Bay parks officials say hikers should beware of an unusually large number of toxic — and potentially deadly — mushrooms sprouting across the region.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

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