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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
exhaust fumes poisoning the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Don’t use poisons, traps, or deterrents that could cause harm.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
The courts said that map was poisoned by partisan considerations, forcing the Legislature to come up with a new map before the 2016 primary.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
The authors reported there were 90,000 calls to poison control centers involving these products in 2023 alone.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Don’t use poisons, traps, or deterrents that could cause harm.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
Lesch’s close contacts with al-Assad raised suspicions among some in Syria, and Lesch was poisoned twice.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
The courts said that map was poisoned by partisan considerations, forcing the Legislature to come up with a new map before the 2016 primary.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for poison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
Noun
-
Manufacturers should be diligently working to clean up their supply chains and manufacturing practices to ensure their products are free of PFAS and other toxics.—
Sarah Todd,
STAT,
1 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Many of Starmer’s potential opponents within the Labour Party are tainted by scandal – such as Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who resigned last year over her failure to pay the correct amount of property tax – or untested.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
Twain was by turns amused and appalled by the histrionics that taint our tellings of history, and by the yawning gaps between myth and reality.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
See, scientists know human drugs pollute aquatic environments – past studies have shown even anti-anxiety drugs can change how fish act.—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
12 May 2026
-
Toilet paper, a product that is used for a few seconds before being disposed of forever, is typically made with trees, energy-intensive manufacturing processes and chemicals that can pollute the environment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
In applications like data centers, where batteries may cycle multiple times a day, lithium-ion systems degrade relatively quickly.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
-
Corning's optical solutions ensure that the data being sent between servers doesn't degrade — a risk with the copper wires used historically before the era of agentic AI computing.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Minnesota's Target Center turned into a political stage Saturday night as the Minnesota Lynx home opener against the Atlanta Dream was hijacked by a fan shouting anti-ICE sentiments.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
If the 2026 first-rounder didn’t convey, then the Clippers would get Indiana’s unprotected 2031 pick, which is the same year franchise star Kawhi Leonard turns 40 years old.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hydrangeas are poisonous to dogs and cats.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 May 2026
-
Restoring the balance of the humors through profusely bleeding the patient or inducing vomiting or diarrhea with the poisonous plant hellebore.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hantavirus disease is considered rare, with 890 cases reported in the United States between 1993 and 2023.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
In 2024, for example, more than 700 newborns died from spontaneous bleeding in their brains, which could have been complicated by liver disease or prematurity.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Waves of silicon, metal, and concrete would spoil views of Sardinia’s stunning beaches, rugged mountains, ancient pastures, and idyllic medieval villages, after all.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
-
Composers Matt Bowen and Christopher Lennertz won’t spoil what’s ahead but say their music will only get bigger.—
Fred Topel,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
