as in poisons
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 pesticides
Companion plants are an eco-friendly way to keep pests out of your garden without chemical pesticides and an easy way to boost the production of your favorite plants and vegetables.
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026
Although the study shows only an association and does not prove that pesticides caused lung cancer, Nieva recommends that people wash their produce before eating and choose organic foods whenever possible.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides and is the strongest choice for sensitive skin or chemical sensitivity; GOTS certification is the most rigorous verification to look for.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Supporters of the bill say independent testing has found everything from pesticides and chemicals to mold and fungus in the products, and the state has issued 10 recalls in just the last 4 months.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The authors speculated that pesticides might be a contributing factor.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
The book raised issues about conservation and the environmental problems caused by synthetic pesticides.
—Makenna Morrison Gary, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026
Means has faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for her controversial stances on vaccines, birth control and pesticides.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
See & Spray, for example, could expand to the other treatments ― fungicides and pesticides.
—Tyler Jett, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026
Although the study shows only an association and does not prove that pesticides caused lung cancer, Nieva recommends that people wash their produce before eating and choose organic foods whenever possible.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides and is the strongest choice for sensitive skin or chemical sensitivity; GOTS certification is the most rigorous verification to look for.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Supporters of the bill say independent testing has found everything from pesticides and chemicals to mold and fungus in the products, and the state has issued 10 recalls in just the last 4 months.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The authors speculated that pesticides might be a contributing factor.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
The book raised issues about conservation and the environmental problems caused by synthetic pesticides.
—Makenna Morrison Gary, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026
Means has faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for her controversial stances on vaccines, birth control and pesticides.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
See & Spray, for example, could expand to the other treatments ― fungicides and pesticides.
—Tyler Jett, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticides
Noun
-
And nobody from the department asked the legislature to reconsider recent laws that gradually banned the strongest rat poisons.—
Susan Shelley,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Look for legume-specific herbicides like clopyralid or triclopyr, which won’t harm surrounding trees or grass.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
20 Apr. 2026
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Decades of American farmers’ overreliance on both fertilizers and quick chemical solutions like pesticides and herbicides have slowly chipped away at soil health for decades.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Repeat expansions have been shown in lots of neurological diseases.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Plants growing in crowded conditions with poor air circulation are an ideal breeding ground for fungal diseases to spread.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Natural products inspired by organisms include GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss, spider and snake venoms, and compounds from plants and fungi with potential uses in pain relief and cancer treatment.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
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Toxins in many animal venoms, for example, are peptides.—
Dominique Mosbergen,
Time,
24 Feb. 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
-
Environmental advocates say the new regulation of air toxics, which was required under a 2022 bill called Public Protections From Toxic Air Contaminants, will make the state’s air cleaner and its people healthier.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pesticides.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticides. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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