1
as in contamination
the action or process of making the environment dirty or harmful
The company designed devices to reduce the pollution of the world's oceans.
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2
as in corruption
something that makes (someone) less pure, honest, or moral
They refused to let their children play violent video games, believing that they caused pollution in a developing mind.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pollution
After decades of pollution, Brunswick residents have a new resource for researching the link between area Superfund sites and their health.
—
CBS News, 12 June 2026
The Tijuana River Valley, which straddles the border, has been overrun for decades by untreated wastewater and sewage, forcing border towns like Imperial Beach and Chula Vista to intermittently close its beaches due to pollution.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
The campaign highlights how fashion is responsible for at least 4 percent of all climate pollution.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
The funding will be made available as competitive grants for projects that reduce bacteria and trash, address public health issues related to the cross-border pollution and support mitigation and restoration.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollution
CBS News, 12 June 2026
The Tijuana River Valley, which straddles the border, has been overrun for decades by untreated wastewater and sewage, forcing border towns like Imperial Beach and Chula Vista to intermittently close its beaches due to pollution.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
The campaign highlights how fashion is responsible for at least 4 percent of all climate pollution.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
The funding will be made available as competitive grants for projects that reduce bacteria and trash, address public health issues related to the cross-border pollution and support mitigation and restoration.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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Left unmanaged, coal waste routinely triggers water contamination, airborne dust pollution, and spontaneous fires.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
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Farm Rich Pizza Cheese Crunchers, sold at retailers like Walmart and Kroger, were initially pulled from shelves in May due to potential metal contamination.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
15 June 2026
Noun
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The polarizing organization trudged through a corruption trial and attempted to file for bankruptcy in the past decade.—
Stephen Gutowski,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
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But there is a growing protest movement against the project, which is on public land and many Albanians view it as government corruption.—
Greg Dixon,
NPR,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Murray was one of the founding members of People in Need of Environmental Safety (PINES), a local advocacy group, which has pushed NIPSCO to mitigate and properly test for arsenic levels and other pollutants linked to coal ash disposal.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
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Trump has touted coal as clean in the past, but experts say coal emits carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and several other pollutants.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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