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
Restoring the balance of the humors through profusely bleeding the patient or inducing vomiting or diarrhea with the poisonous plant hellebore.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
There’s a steadiness to Tung/Wonder Woman that stands out for its quiet authority in a frequently goofy landscape peppered with poisonous robes and finger-eating minions.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026
The villain, though, is not Michael Jackson but his father, Joe, whose determination to get his boys out of Gary, Indiana, turns into something more poisonous.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Except for the Genetic Infantry, blue super soldiers engineered by the Southers to survive the poisonous atmosphere.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
There’s a steadiness to Tung/Wonder Woman that stands out for its quiet authority in a frequently goofy landscape peppered with poisonous robes and finger-eating minions.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026
The villain, though, is not Michael Jackson but his father, Joe, whose determination to get his boys out of Gary, Indiana, turns into something more poisonous.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Except for the Genetic Infantry, blue super soldiers engineered by the Southers to survive the poisonous atmosphere.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 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
-
Dropped in recent years because carbs are poison.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Northern India already has some of the world’s most polluted air, created by a toxic mix of vehicle and industrial emissions, crop residue burning, and construction dust.—
Ayushi Shah,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
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Veterinarians recommend knowing which flowers are toxic, which are safer for pets and what to do if exposure happens.—
Taneia Surles,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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The new series was filmed primarily outdoors in Texas, presenting challenges like extreme heat and venomous snakes.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Cody Neidert spoke exclusively with CBS News Colorado about his venomous encounter from his hospital bed at Medical Center of the Rockies.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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