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
The union also took up the battle against pesticides, often negotiating limiting their use into union contracts.
—
Stephanie Elam, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Controlled irrigation, pesticides and new fertilizers can turn once-unusable land into farms.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
There’s also the pesticides – all kinds of toxicity are in stuff in legal dispensaries that’s certainly not being detected.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
The labor and civil rights leader secured higher wages, health benefits, pensions and pesticide protections for farmworkers during her decades of organizing and advocacy on their behalf.
—ABC News, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Stephanie Elam, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Controlled irrigation, pesticides and new fertilizers can turn once-unusable land into farms.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
There’s also the pesticides – all kinds of toxicity are in stuff in legal dispensaries that’s certainly not being detected.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
The labor and civil rights leader secured higher wages, health benefits, pensions and pesticide protections for farmworkers during her decades of organizing and advocacy on their behalf.
—ABC News, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
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Drawing this degraded, sour crude is akin to pumping industrial poison through our midstream and downstream networks.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Calls to poison centers in the United States about the widely available herb kratom increased more than 1,200% between 2015 and 2025, new research has found.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 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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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
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Inspectors observed ant and roach insecticide being stored near a coffee container.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Money from those grants will cover not just labor costs, but also equipment like chain saws, herbicides, tools and bags, Young said.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
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Organophosphorus is a compound that can be used in fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and exposure can cause the nervous system to stop working properly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Burning coal produces fine particles that lodge deep in the lungs and bloodstream, raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease, according to the World Health Organization.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Houry points to recent public health threats caused by vaccine preventable diseases, on which Kennedy has not given the typical response of promoting vaccines.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The fungicide is sprayed on the fruits after harvest to prevent mold.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Citrus fruits are often sprayed with pesticides and fungicides to protect them from pests and disease.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The woman who was bitten, later identified as 46-year-old Gabriela Bautista of Moorpark, died March 19 as a result of rattlesnake venom toxicity, the Ventura County medical examiner’s office told KTLA.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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Do not apply a tourniquet, slash the wound with a knife or attempt to suck out the venom, officials warned.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 2026.
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