poison 1 of 3

poison

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noun

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

poison

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verb

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs. National Geographic, 28 Feb. 2020 Some farmers even intentionally poison cranes to stop them from foraging in their crops. National Geographic, 10 Feb. 2020
Noun
The one person Timothy doesn’t mean to poison ends up poisoning himself. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 The Pong Pong tree has been a popular choice for poison in Southeast Asia and South Asia for centuries. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
Hours before that performance, as Ivy has a diva moment and Karen is incapacitated in a reformatting of the series’ poisoning plot line, Bombshell’s assistant director, Chloe (Bella Coppola), suddenly has to step up to play Marilyn, winning the love of the internet. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025 Janine also faced a near-death experience earlier in Season 5 when Esther poisoned herself and Janine. Abigail Lee, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
Noun
  • The toxics killed fish and wildlife, closed beaches, and endangered environmentally sensitive areas.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025
  • In Colorado, the process to choose the five priority air toxics included consulting with multiple stakeholders.
    Jenni Shearston, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In the 84th minute of a 3-3 draw between Hamburg and Stuttgart in October 2013, the 20-year-old Rudiger tainted his emergence as one of Germany’s brightest young defenders by punching the Dutchman in the ribs.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 1 May 2025
  • Superman remains a major brand, despite how tainted DC’s overall brand became, because the character built up a great deal of good will for decades in comics, on TV, and on film.
    Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Even so, a 2022 study from the Royal Astronomical Society showed that artificial light was polluting the skies over most observatories, while suggesting that immediate action would be needed to safeguard these scientific bastions.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Just as pollution from early factories unexpectedly damaged the environment, AI systems risk polluting the digital environment by flooding the Internet with synthetic content.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Yields usually fall when fear is dominating markets, but their surprising earlier rise stirred fears that Trump’s trade war was degrading the U.S. bond market’s status as one of the world’s safest places to keep cash.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Unlike many other archaeological sites in Sweden, where acidic soil degrades organic material, Strandvägen’s conditions have allowed organic material to survive for many years, as Gummesson tells the publication.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2025
  • What was supposed to be a revenge tour has turned into a stumble out of the gate.
    Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But Palpatine's genius is less about those poisonous whispers than his plot to isolate Anakin from his friends.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The Big Bay Boom fireworks create a toxic fog of fine particles, poisonous aerosols and heavy metals that harm air, water and soil — posing serious risks to birds, wildlife, pets and people.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • While much research is still needed into the disease’s progression, Edgerly said people can take steps to potentially reduce their risk.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Fighting the disease for over 30 years, Peters and his charity fundraised and sought to raise awareness on new treatments for cancer patients.
    Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.
    Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
    Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

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