poison 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of poisonnext
as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing the witch gave Snow White a poison apple

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poison

2 of 3

noun

ˈpȯi-zᵊn How to pronounce poison (audio)
as in toxic
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing the only way to get rid of rats is to leave out poison

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poison

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred

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2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable exhaust fumes poisoning the air

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3
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem

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4
as in to turn
to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge malicious rumors had poisoned many church members against the new pastor

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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 poison
Adjective
Michelle spins a long and complicated tale, but insists Teddy was wrong about the Andromedans trying to infiltrate and poison humanity. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025 Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison. — Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
On the floor, there is a plate with poison/chemical for rat, mop sink room. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 Previous strategies for growing plants on Mars included rinsing these poisons out, bringing supplemental fertilizers from Earth, or avoiding Martian soil entirely and using hydroponics. — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
The government was the one that was poisoning the industrial alcohol the people were stealing to make bathtub gin. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Did something happen in her youth that might inform why Cathy, after marrying Adam, goes on to shoot him, leave their newborns, join a brothel, slowly poison the madam, and then take her job? — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
  1. poisonous
  2. toxic
  3. taint
  4. pollute
  5. degrade
  6. turn
  7. disease
  8. spoil
Adjective
  • Now, a poisonous residue on the same crowbar has left him incapacitated.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This low-temperature, low-pressure hydrometallurgical method removes arsenic cleanly and operates without fossil fuels or poisonous gas emissions.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of poisonous
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
Definition of toxic
Verb
  • Or has dance music’s bad rap — as fun but vacuous and unserious — tainted the current version of the genre?
    — Rachel Narozniak, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2026
  • That means if the sewage system backs up, the sink could be tainted.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of taint
Verb
  • When those waters are polluted, the damage is not confined to a technical measurement in a permit or a line on a monitoring report.
    — Dana Adkins, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Norway rats can transmit diseases to humans and other animals, damage property, and pollute food.
    — Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of pollute
Verb
  • At rates faster than the cap, the internet degrades and is no longer usable.
    — Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Living with neck and back pain from stress, tension, poor posture and other causes can seriously degrade your quality of life, but Therabody's latest innovation can help.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • David Standridge’s philosophy is all about harvesting what’s plentiful and turning it into something delicious.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Future success will require Space42 to turn its technological capabilities, capital commitments and international partnerships into commercially viable services that can compete across markets at scale and at a sustainable cost.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of turn
Noun
  • Depending on the species, that could mean breeding animals in captivity and releasing them, restoring habitat, managing disease, or controlling invasive species.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Beeswax, honey, and pollen each possess their own particular antimicrobial and chemical properties that, taken together, repel disease and encourage helpful fungi.
    — Amanda Erickson, STAT, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of disease
Verb
  • There has been no more satisfying slap in cinema this year than the one Erika lands on a smug German actor, leading to a wicked punchline that shouldn’t be spoiled.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Anthony Edwards hit nine 3-pointers and scored 45 points to join an elite club; LaMelo Ball scored 21 in his Minnesota debut, and the Timberwolves spoiled Giannis Antetokounmpo's first game with Miami by beating the Heat 131-106 on Wednesday night.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of spoil

Browse Nearby Words

poising
poison
poisoned
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Cite this Entry

“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on poison

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poison

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