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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

poison

3 of 3

verb

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2
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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
These colors start with a white-platinum blonde base and take just a dash of color: Pick your poison: lavender, baby pink, or mint. Audrey Noble, Vogue, 2 May 2025 Despite possessing toxic skin alkaloids, poison frogs (Family: Dendrobatidae) have long been favorites because of their bright colors and patterns and their complex parental care behaviors. Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
As the film unfolds, Wilson finds out that Sterns, the movie's villain, has been the mastermind behind the entire plot and has been poisoning Ross with gamma rays via pills for years. Caroline Blair, People.com, 28 May 2025 Intermediately, because a member of Ethan’s team, Claire (Emmanuelle Béart) has poisoned Donloe, which results in Donloe having some pretty intense gastrointestinal reactions. Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for poison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
Noun
  • While the researchers behind this breakthrough may consider their product non toxic, its worth noting that the people who discovered the forever chemicals thought the same thing.
    Alison Escalante, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • The more stringent standards effectively limit emissions of other toxics, including benzene, lead and arsenic.
    Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • Their prosecution was tainted by multiple constitutional violations and political bias.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
  • White died nine days later on Nov. 21 The best friend of a British woman who died after drinking alcohol that authorities suspect was tainted with methanol while visiting Laos is speaking out.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • These efforts play a valuable role in addressing the plastic already polluting our oceans.
    Rob Kaplan, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Runoff from roads, factories, and dumping grounds can also pollute water sources used for crops.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Use of this material has been proposed in the past, but has been hampered by the fact that making CNTs involves metals, and the residue left behind ends up degrading electrical performance.
    Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • Further, Israel’s previous attacks on Iran in April and October 2024 managed to degrade Iran’s ballistic and surface-to-air missiles and air defense radar systems.
    Javed Ali, The Conversation, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Today, in a world still healing from a global pandemic and grappling with economic, political and climate uncertainty, the temptation to turn inward is strong.
    Kendra MacDonald, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Sarah Snook, who won a Tony Award for Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play for The Picture of Dorian Gray, is stumped about how it would ever be turned into a film.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • The last time fans saw her as Britt, she was attacked by a serial killer and died from his poisonous hook.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 6 June 2025
  • Spiders More than 900 species of spiders call Texas home, including two poisonous types — the black widow and brown recluse.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Blood pressure may rise with age, increasing cardiovascular disease risk.
    Anisha Shah, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025
  • By eliminating the need to recruit separate control groups, ECAs can allow studies to progress more quickly, bringing innovative treatments to patients faster, especially in diseases with no existing options.
    Sujay Jadhav, Forbes.com, 4 June 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 18 Jun. 2025.

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