as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
some evil person was leaving out poisonous meat for neighborhood dogs to eat
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Recent Examples of poisonous
To attend an Old Firm fixture, as the rivalry is known, is to understand the frenetic, vitriolic, passionate and sometimes poisonous world of football in Glasgow.
—
The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
For me, this film is part of that trilogy, of men who are really poisonous, but also very, very normal.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
As a result, there’s been a sudden uptick in the number of people getting sick and dying after accidentally eating the poisonous mushrooms found in the wild.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Runoff from textile production into the Buriganga River commonly contains poisonous chemicals and heavy metals.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
For me, this film is part of that trilogy, of men who are really poisonous, but also very, very normal.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
As a result, there’s been a sudden uptick in the number of people getting sick and dying after accidentally eating the poisonous mushrooms found in the wild.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Runoff from textile production into the Buriganga River commonly contains poisonous chemicals and heavy metals.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisonous
Adjective
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Power to the people is poison to the powerful.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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Dropped in recent years because carbs are poison.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The French mint reformulated its protective varnish after the European Union restricted chromium trioxide, a toxic chemical previously used to prevent corrosion.—
Eric Sullivan,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2026
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The kind of quiet friction that slowly moves the nation forward can be as compelling to watch as the toxic clashes that have driven it back.—
Talya Zax,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Except every Eden contains a serpent, and this one’s viper is particularly venomous.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
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Extra points go to this docile, non-venomous spider that eats mosquitoes, gnats and flies.—
Sheryl DeVore,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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