as in contaminated
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
called in to clean up the polluted stream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Zeb Hogan, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Bangladesh and Tajikistan were second and third on the most polluted list.
—Reuters, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Today, most of humanity only has access to a heavily polluted sky rather than the pristine views our ancestors enjoyed, but that sense of awe and wonder still remains.
—Big Think, 23 Mar. 2026
They have been linked to a vast number of health risks, but their effect on athletic performance has generally been studied only when people are racing or training in polluted environments.
—Richard A. Lovett, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Some Iranians fear the polluted rain, which also contains heavy metals, could contaminate drinking-water reservoirs and waterways.
—Tammy Webber, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Founded by Aurelie Fontan, Meredith Wood and Christopher Ferguson in the United Kingdom, the approach extracts natural pigments from plants grown on polluted land while contributing to soil restoration.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
Their waterways are polluted and undrinkable, yet citizens still wash their clothes and utensils in them.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
The neighborhoods closest to the data center are already some of the most polluted in Denver, the organizers noted.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Decades of such spills and gas flares polluted and degraded the natural environment, while successive Nigerian governments failed to develop our economies.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Today, the bluegills, catfish and Canada geese that once populated the area have mostly abandoned the creek, which has long been polluted by runoff from farms and nearby parking lots.
—Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
The copper-mining industry has so polluted the town that its air stinks and its mountains are covered in black ash.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
If our aquifer becomes massively polluted by cows, the clean water our rural communities and springs rely upon would be put at risk.
—Harper West, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Many of those springs have either stopped flowing, been cut off by development or been polluted.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
Manatees often find refuge in natural springs during cold weather, but many of those springs have either stopped flowing, been cut off by development or been polluted.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
When natural springs stop flowing, are cut off by development or are polluted, manatees do not wait for conditions to improve.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Across the Northern Hemisphere, migratory fish such as salmon, sturgeon and shad have suffered major losses because rivers have been dammed and polluted, while many populations were heavily overfished.
—Zeb Hogan, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Bangladesh and Tajikistan were second and third on the most polluted list.
—Reuters, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Today, most of humanity only has access to a heavily polluted sky rather than the pristine views our ancestors enjoyed, but that sense of awe and wonder still remains.
—Big Think, 23 Mar. 2026
They have been linked to a vast number of health risks, but their effect on athletic performance has generally been studied only when people are racing or training in polluted environments.
—Richard A. Lovett, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Some Iranians fear the polluted rain, which also contains heavy metals, could contaminate drinking-water reservoirs and waterways.
—Tammy Webber, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Founded by Aurelie Fontan, Meredith Wood and Christopher Ferguson in the United Kingdom, the approach extracts natural pigments from plants grown on polluted land while contributing to soil restoration.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
Their waterways are polluted and undrinkable, yet citizens still wash their clothes and utensils in them.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
The neighborhoods closest to the data center are already some of the most polluted in Denver, the organizers noted.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
People of color like him and his family worked and lived surrounded by the industries that polluted their air, and many still do.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Decades of such spills and gas flares polluted and degraded the natural environment, while successive Nigerian governments failed to develop our economies.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Today, the bluegills, catfish and Canada geese that once populated the area have mostly abandoned the creek, which has long been polluted by runoff from farms and nearby parking lots.
—Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
The copper-mining industry has so polluted the town that its air stinks and its mountains are covered in black ash.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
If our aquifer becomes massively polluted by cows, the clean water our rural communities and springs rely upon would be put at risk.
—Harper West, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Many of those springs have either stopped flowing, been cut off by development or been polluted.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
Manatees often find refuge in natural springs during cold weather, but many of those springs have either stopped flowing, been cut off by development or been polluted.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
When natural springs stop flowing, are cut off by development or are polluted, manatees do not wait for conditions to improve.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polluted
Adjective
-
Its contaminated followers were one step removed from the beasts of the field.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The company later recovered more than 888,000 gallons of contaminated fuel that had mixed with other gasoline already in the tanks.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Any one of them can be poisoned.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
21 Mar. 2026
-
In Alabama, the punishment for this audacity had most often involved waking up to her family’s dogs poisoned in the night.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
America is not immune from these problems, as the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 was tainted with a bribery scandal.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Her authentic affection for Stephen is tainted by her disappointment over his social status.—
Isle McElroy,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
To prolong their lifespan, plastic cutting boards can be put in the dishwasher for cleaning; wooden ones can be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution or disinfectant.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
-
To save them, remove the mold by washing them thoroughly with water to remove surface fungi, then spray them with a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide (1 part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water).—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Second, a dilute hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining lithium and the transition metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
-
For example, Wilson’s team is exploring whether dilute acids speed up weathering.—
Robert F. Service,
Science | AAAS,
3 Sep. 2020
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
-
In the city, reactions are more mixed within the Arab elite class, causing a rift between the business community and the intellectuals.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The factual basis for broader perceptions of gay prosperity is mixed.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Wise’s wistful songwriting is retained, but completely missing is his intentionally impure palette.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This is because they are often seen as ritually impure.—
Megan Bryson,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polluted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polluted. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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