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
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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
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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
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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
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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
Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Pick your poison TCU has been elite defensively just like South Carolina, but the Gamecocks will present the biggest challenge for the Horned Frogs’ underrated defense.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
That is, until Krypto is poisoned by the henchmen of villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, with only three days to save him.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 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
The species never says die — even when faced with deadly poison or a metal bar across its neck.
—Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Pick your poison TCU has been elite defensively just like South Carolina, but the Gamecocks will present the biggest challenge for the Horned Frogs’ underrated defense.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
In the Middle Ages, local churchgoers whispered of clannish Jews poisoning wells to kill Christian children and steal their blood for their rituals.
—Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
That is, until Krypto is poisoned by the henchmen of villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, with only three days to save him.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 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
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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
Verb
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Of course, at the heart of it was the man himself, a deeply polarizing music icon whose years-long tirades against everyone from Jewish people to his peers tainted a legacy that once seemed unimpeachable.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
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Increasingly, judges are opting to sanction lawyers who submit briefs tainted by AI errors, Moylan said, sometimes fining those who refuse to admit wrongdoing or referring them to their state’s bar association for disciplinary actions.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the Monsanto lawsuit, it is alleged that the company polluted Lake Michigan with PCBs, according to documents.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Millions of gallons a day of raw, untreated sewage and industrial waste flows north through the Tijuana River, across the border, into the Tijuana River Estuary and out into the Pacific — polluting the air as well.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Summary sourcing, however, degraded with Gemini 3.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
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Israel appears to have taken the lead on assassinating even low-level figures linked to Iran’s nuclear program while systematically degrading the knowledge centers that could prove useful in the future.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The point is to keep eight low-lying pockets of the Lower East Side from turning into basins once the floodgates close.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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The game turned some Wildcat fans into Wolverine fans, at least for one night.—
Jack Springgate,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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When Floyd is found dead at a community pool, surrounded by a poisonous cocktail and a vintage Playgirl magazine, two detectives (Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday) begin unraveling the bizarre chain of events that led to his death.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
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Although only a few of the 70-80 species of poisonous mushrooms are actually fatal when ingested, many of these deadly fungi bear an unfortunate resemblance to edible species and are thus especially dangerous.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Fox, 64, has worked for decades with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at age 29 in the early 1990s but kept private until 1998.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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For instance, there may be more car crashes, animal bites, property damage and zoonotic disease transmission.—
Daniel T. Blumstein,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Russo places a few dry paper towels in the bag to absorb excess moisture and prevent spoiling.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
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Choosing among loud, louder and loudest shirts, then contemplating whether to go with jorts or florts (don’t ask) and selecting the appropriate socks and crocs, Black finally is ready to go until Sarah Sherman shows up to spoil things.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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