as in contaminated
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
called in to clean up the polluted stream
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in poisoned
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
outmoded factories polluting the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of polluted
Michael De Nil, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Whilst the moon might not be that hard to see in a light-polluted area, capturing it on a smart telescope is still impressive.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025
If the wind shifts from polluted areas nearby, the unhealthy air could quickly blow into your area.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The first Cincinnati kiosk will open at Salway Park on the Mill Creek, a waterway once heavily polluted but now a recreation corridor.
—Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
The port planned to use it to clean up and remediate polluted areas, build facilities for handling the turbine parts, dredge the waterway and build a larger wharf capable of handling pieces of steel longer than a football field.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025
Cities and towns can remove arsenic from groundwater, but some rural communities and isolated homes can’t afford those options, leaving residents to consume polluted water or haul it in from elsewhere.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Other risk factors include exposure to secondhand smoke, polluted air or other environmental workplace hazards.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has published a new way for residents to keep track of restoration progress for one of Lake Michigan’s most polluted waterways.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Other public speakers, like Tabitha Fader, said the reroute would cause irreparable harm if wetlands and rivers were polluted during pipeline construction or in the event of a spill.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Ship Canal — located in East Chicago — were polluted from more than a century of industrial and municipal wastewater discharges, and caused multiple grassroots organizations to advocate for cleanup measures along the river.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
My experience of the internet, when constrained to apps, has become further polluted by an inability to turn off ads.
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 25 Aug. 2025
Hurricanes are rapidly intensifying more frequently as the oceans and atmosphere warm in a world polluted by fossil fuels.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
Our species has polluted the planet, so that grey clouds of smoke invade many urban landscapes.
—Bandamlak Y. Jemberie, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Though some water comes from small desalination units run by aid agencies, most is drawn from wells in a brackish aquifer that has been further polluted by sewage and chemicals seeping through the rubble, spreading diarrhoea and hepatitis.
—USA Today, 6 Aug. 2025
Flaring looked unsightly, polluted the air and wasted a natural resource that could be sold.
—Jacob Orledge, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Not abstract, delayed or generalized data, but precise, real-time and location-specific insights delivered from the world’s most remote forests, deepest watersheds and most polluted urban corridors.
—Michael De Nil, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Whilst the moon might not be that hard to see in a light-polluted area, capturing it on a smart telescope is still impressive.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025
If the wind shifts from polluted areas nearby, the unhealthy air could quickly blow into your area.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The first Cincinnati kiosk will open at Salway Park on the Mill Creek, a waterway once heavily polluted but now a recreation corridor.
—Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
The port planned to use it to clean up and remediate polluted areas, build facilities for handling the turbine parts, dredge the waterway and build a larger wharf capable of handling pieces of steel longer than a football field.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025
Cities and towns can remove arsenic from groundwater, but some rural communities and isolated homes can’t afford those options, leaving residents to consume polluted water or haul it in from elsewhere.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Other risk factors include exposure to secondhand smoke, polluted air or other environmental workplace hazards.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has published a new way for residents to keep track of restoration progress for one of Lake Michigan’s most polluted waterways.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
The area is significantly polluted with DDT, a chemical used as an insecticide that was banned in 1972.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Other public speakers, like Tabitha Fader, said the reroute would cause irreparable harm if wetlands and rivers were polluted during pipeline construction or in the event of a spill.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Ship Canal — located in East Chicago — were polluted from more than a century of industrial and municipal wastewater discharges, and caused multiple grassroots organizations to advocate for cleanup measures along the river.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
My experience of the internet, when constrained to apps, has become further polluted by an inability to turn off ads.
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 25 Aug. 2025
Hurricanes are rapidly intensifying more frequently as the oceans and atmosphere warm in a world polluted by fossil fuels.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
Our species has polluted the planet, so that grey clouds of smoke invade many urban landscapes.
—Bandamlak Y. Jemberie, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Though some water comes from small desalination units run by aid agencies, most is drawn from wells in a brackish aquifer that has been further polluted by sewage and chemicals seeping through the rubble, spreading diarrhoea and hepatitis.
—USA Today, 6 Aug. 2025
Flaring looked unsightly, polluted the air and wasted a natural resource that could be sold.
—Jacob Orledge, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polluted
Adjective
-
Both options are naturally gluten-free, but oats are more likely to be cross-contaminated with gluten.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Two children who became ill showed symptoms of a condition that can arise from contaminated water.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As part of her ruling, Kreuziger barred McQueen, 59, from saying Lawrence Kenyon poisoned or attempted to poison her while they were married.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
10 Sep. 2025
-
When she was eventually released, Lee and a small group of her followers made the journey to America to spread their gospel, believing the people of Manchester to be poisoned by the teachings of the Church of England.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
King Charles’ brother, Prince Andrew, has been tainted by his own friendship with Epstein.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Just as social media makes legacy media apparatus look sluggish by comparison, prediction markets expose traditional polls and surveys for being tainted by bias (see the 2016 Clinton fiasco).—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Cortège often feels like a beautiful but diluted version of experiences that Cirque du Soleil and Burning Man execute with more conviction and coherence.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Try using a diluted solution of baking soda and water or dishwasher soap and water.—
Zoe Gowen,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For example, Wilson’s team is exploring whether dilute acids speed up weathering.—
Robert F. Service,
Science | AAAS,
3 Sep. 2020
-
The company reported a net loss during the first quarter of $3.9 million, or 11 cents diluted loss per share, compared to a net income of $4.3 million, or 12 cents dilute earnings per share over the same period last year.—
Paul Takahashi,
Houston Chronicle,
5 June 2018
Adjective
-
The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated ice-cream products and agreed to pay a fine over the outbreak.—
Dylan Tokar,
WSJ,
2 Feb. 2023
-
And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is also leading to deaths.—
Nadia Kounang,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2022
Adjective
-
Because the sliding molecules are built into the gel (not just mixed in), their motion directly couples with the gel’s stretching.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Known for excellent hazy IPAs as well as a stellar mixed fermentation/sour program, Hill Farmstead is worth the drive as some beer people consider a visit to their small but inviting tasting room almost a religious pilgrimage.—
Em Sauter,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
France has Europe’s largest population of Muslims, over 6 million, for whom pigs are considered impure.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Even the most natural parts of many women’s lives — such as menstruation, clothing or even breastfeeding — can be framed as being impure or as moral transgressions.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Polluted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polluted. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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