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
After meeting a whistleblower (Taylour Paige) aiming to reveal the company’s poisonous shenanigans, Winston runs afoul of punk-band baddies who toss him and his radioactive mop into a toxic-waste pool, and the reluctant superdude becomes a popular folk hero standing up for the people who need him.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Others are poisonous or cause skin irritations.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2025
They are known to be foraging predators with tentacles that hold highly poisonous stinging cells, used for both hunting and self-defense, explains the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
This is provided by vast data centers that burn through energy at rates comparable to small nations, creating poisonous emissions and noise pollution.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Others are poisonous or cause skin irritations.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2025
They are known to be foraging predators with tentacles that hold highly poisonous stinging cells, used for both hunting and self-defense, explains the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
This is provided by vast data centers that burn through energy at rates comparable to small nations, creating poisonous emissions and noise pollution.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisonous
Adjective
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Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
28 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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Wilson and Webbon told USA TODAY that scripture provides safeguards against toxic behavior.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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According to the Mayo Clinic, 911 or local emergency authorities should be contacted immediately after a venomous snake bite.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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During the search, multiple venomous snakes and animals were seized.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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