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
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Recent Examples of poison
Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
Others recalled Guthrie’s role in helping save the poison information center at the University of Arizona, gathering more than 20,000 signatures before the internet era to keep the program alive — work that one colleague said went on to benefit thousands of Arizonans.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Richins, 35, faced multiple felony charges for allegedly poisoning Eric Richins, her late husband, in March 2022.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Mar. 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
Even the emergency medical services' ambulance team and the emergency department doctors will call poison control for guidance.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
Others recalled Guthrie’s role in helping save the poison information center at the University of Arizona, gathering more than 20,000 signatures before the internet era to keep the program alive — work that one colleague said went on to benefit thousands of Arizonans.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
Malek refused Alsheikh’s demand to poison the prominent political figure, leading to him being placed in Wing 13, a notorious part of the prison where people were tortured.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Richins, 35, faced multiple felony charges for allegedly poisoning Eric Richins, her late husband, in March 2022.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
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
-
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
Verb
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Institutional investors, such as German pension funds, saw the company as ethically tainted, and its stock price lagged far behind that of defense firms from other parts of Europe.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Ohio has seen fewer deaths but more risky behavior lately as fentanyl supplies dry up and people turn to substitutes tainted by animal tranquilizers.—
Kaitlin Coward,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Decades of such spills and gas flares polluted and degraded the natural environment, while successive Nigerian governments failed to develop our economies.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Following the legal order to stop polluting, the state issued DTE four more air quality violations.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Riboua was more skeptical, arguing that Hezbollah would likely survive the collapse of the government in Tehran but would be vastly degraded.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
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While nickel alone tends to degrade quickly, the carbon layer protects it from damage while still allowing the necessary reactions to occur.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Times of India found workers in Chirag Dilli, the city’s dumpling-making capital, so stretched for fuel that some had given up on steaming and had turned operations over to chow mein.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
That combination can turn a small spark into a fast-moving fire.—
Joe Ruch,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Trump’s populist allies have learned that their most poisonous ideas have a potent audience.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Here’s a guide to nine common indoor plants that are poisonous to pets, along with the symptoms every pet owner should recognize.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
24 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
-
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
Verb
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Trump claimed the 11 turbines would spoil the view from his golf course.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
We have been spoiled the last two seasons.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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