as in poisoning
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
outmoded factories polluting the air
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Recent Examples of polluting
This 2-mile stretch of embankment once channeled 43,000 cars across the city daily, polluting the air and assailing landmarks such as the Louvre and the Pont Neuf with noise and vibration.
—
Marie Patino, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
Following the legal order to stop polluting, the state issued DTE four more air quality violations.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
In mid-February, the agency repealed the endangerment finding, a 2009 rule that named six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, as polluting the air and endangering public health.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
In the years since the Source of Truth was completed, purges multiplied across the state, with toxic wastewater gushing to the surface, polluting farmland and water sources.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polluting
Marie Patino, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
Following the legal order to stop polluting, the state issued DTE four more air quality violations.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
In mid-February, the agency repealed the endangerment finding, a 2009 rule that named six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, as polluting the air and endangering public health.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
In the years since the Source of Truth was completed, purges multiplied across the state, with toxic wastewater gushing to the surface, polluting farmland and water sources.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polluting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polluting
Verb
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Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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In the Middle Ages, local churchgoers whispered of clannish Jews poisoning wells to kill Christian children and steal their blood for their rituals.—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This can be a contaminating breeding ground if there were to be leaks that damage packaging, or an invitation for pests to munch on your items before you.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
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Although banned in Venezuela, mercury remains prevalent in mining areas, contaminating rivers and exposing workers and nearby communities to toxic effects.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Played by cisgender actress Kathleen Turner, Charles proved to be one of the more divisive characters from Friends, tainting its cultural legacy for some critics.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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Infected people and dogs had to be prevented from tainting water sources.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polluting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polluting. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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