1
as in tainting
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluting
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 degrading
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
4
as in turning
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
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Recent Examples of poisoning
In one case, in the year before Makandal’s death, a servant in Saint-Domingue named Médor was arrested for poisoning his enslaver to obtain his freedom.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
In a recent study, however, researchers at Yale found that interoception helped mice avoid poisoning themselves.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
The assumption behind the lawsuit against Big Food is the usual narrative of big, bad profit-seeking food companies lying to consumers, poisoning their plates, and paying off the regulators.
—Yael Ossowski, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
Signs of salmonella poisoning Sacramento County stated residents should be wary of the symptoms of salmonella poisoning.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Alarmed at the threat to the Grand Canyon, government officials began an assault on the river’s Lees Ferry section that included poisoning the slough.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
No serious legal expert would doubt that the president has authority to blow narco terrorists out of the water, who are poisoning a hundred thousand Americans every year.
—ABC News, 7 Dec. 2025
In November 2024, an American citizen was among six tourists who died in Laos, where alcohol tainted with methanol was blamed for poisoning them.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
What about him specifically bothers you especially in terms of poisoning the youth?
—Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
In a recent study, however, researchers at Yale found that interoception helped mice avoid poisoning themselves.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
The assumption behind the lawsuit against Big Food is the usual narrative of big, bad profit-seeking food companies lying to consumers, poisoning their plates, and paying off the regulators.
—Yael Ossowski, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
Signs of salmonella poisoning Sacramento County stated residents should be wary of the symptoms of salmonella poisoning.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Alarmed at the threat to the Grand Canyon, government officials began an assault on the river’s Lees Ferry section that included poisoning the slough.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
No serious legal expert would doubt that the president has authority to blow narco terrorists out of the water, who are poisoning a hundred thousand Americans every year.
—ABC News, 7 Dec. 2025
In November 2024, an American citizen was among six tourists who died in Laos, where alcohol tainted with methanol was blamed for poisoning them.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
What about him specifically bothers you especially in terms of poisoning the youth?
—Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisoning
Verb
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Judges typically allow for questioning of prospective jurors who may have a bias separately from the larger pool of jurors to avoid tainting others.—
John Diedrich,
jsonline.com,
12 Dec. 2025
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And there's also issues of tainting the jury pool.—
Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The evidence is overwhelming and very difficult for high-polluting foreign governments to credibly challenge.—
Chip Lamarca,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Some in the industry are frustrated, saying opponents are spreading falsehoods about data centers — such as polluting water and air — and are difficult to overcome.—
Marc Levy,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The information ecosystem is degrading more each moment.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Under Budanov, the GUR expanded its operational footprint, coordinating intelligence, sabotage and special operations aimed at degrading Russian military capabilities far beyond the front lines.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Weekly mopping might help to prevent food, dirt, and debris from turning into mold, which could damage your grout.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
-
But the momentum in the NFL’s longest-running rivalry seems to be turning, with the Bears beating the Packers for the third time in the past five games.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Butter crocks are designed with an air-tight seal and a separate space to store water at the bottom that prevents air from reaching the butter, which can lead to spoiling.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
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There is also a fear in Cuba that the developments in Venezuela could cause a deterioration of the quality of life because of power issues, including with spoiling food, trash and mosquitoes.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The estimated volume of wastewater contaminating the San Gabriel River is more than 100,000 gallons, per the release.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Check your squash regularly for signs of spoilage and remove any affected squash immediately to avoid contaminating the others.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And along the way enrich himself and partner with some of the world's most dangerous and violent drug traffickers and corrupting his country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
First, someone, like the objecting citizen in Denton, warns that a dangerous force is corrupting the schools.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
The Atlantic,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
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And spend all that money cutting down trees, and distributing it, and hiring Risa Heller to do PR, and convincing The New York Times to do this puffy piece, and convincing the new editor of Vanity Fair that this was going to be his big splashy debut.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Fake error malware relies on convincing messages that pressure you into doing exactly that.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poisoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisoning. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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