pollute

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb pollute contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pollute are contaminate, defile, and taint. While all these words mean "to make impure or unclean," pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy.

the polluted waters of the river

When can contaminate be used instead of pollute?

The words contaminate and pollute can be used in similar contexts, but contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.

water contaminated by industrial wastes

When is defile a more appropriate choice than pollute?

The words defile and pollute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration.

defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

When is it sensible to use taint instead of pollute?

The synonyms taint and pollute are sometimes interchangeable, but taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

tainted meat
a politician's tainted reputation

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 pollute Seventy percent of the beaches in Gaza are polluted with sewage because of the lack of electricity, preventing them from treating wastewater. Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2025 And while housing grows increasingly unaffordable, homeless camps have exploded, spilling into city parks, crowding sidewalks, and polluting sensitive waterways, despite unprecedented public spending. Angela Hart, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025 Tesla’s stock value is losing its charge as anti-Musk sentiment pollutes the brand. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2025 As one example, critics point to a 2023 rulemaking that required the state’s 18 largest manufacturers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but created what environmentalists describe as a pay-to-pollute system through which companies can buy and sell credits on an exchange market. Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pollute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollute
Verb
  • Martinelli's is recalling more than 170,000 apple juice bottles because their contents may be contaminated by patulin, a toxic substance produced by some fungi.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Since 2019, the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, known as MED, has issued 63 recalls for cannabis products contaminated with bacteria, fungus, pesticides, heavy metals or other chemicals above the legal limits.
    Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Scores of sea lions and dolphins have been fatally poisoned in recent months by domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms.
    Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Morgan was previously married to Keith Whitley from 1986 to his alcohol poisoning death in 1989 at age 34.
    Rachel DeSantis, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In the 84th minute of a 3-3 draw between Hamburg and Stuttgart in October 2013, the 20-year-old Rudiger tainted his emergence as one of Germany’s brightest young defenders by punching the Dutchman in the ribs.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 1 May 2025
  • Superman remains a major brand, despite how tainted DC’s overall brand became, because the character built up a great deal of good will for decades in comics, on TV, and on film.
    Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pollute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollute. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pollute

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