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
Since researchers last attempted to calculate the costs associated with dust pollution in the 1990s, the numbers overall numbers essentially quadrupled.
—
Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Families in the northern part of the district often cannot swim at the closest beach in Coronado because of pollution and closures.
—Rafael Perez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, stated that the company has been fined four times since 2018 by state water pollution regulators at the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
The relief comes from the Climate Credit under Cap-and-Invest, the state’s flagship climate program that redirects revenue the state earns from selling greenhouse gas pollution permits to businesses back to ratepayers — distributing electric credits twice a year and natural gas credits once a year.
—Chaewon Chung
april 16, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Families in the northern part of the district often cannot swim at the closest beach in Coronado because of pollution and closures.
—Rafael Perez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, stated that the company has been fined four times since 2018 by state water pollution regulators at the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
The relief comes from the Climate Credit under Cap-and-Invest, the state’s flagship climate program that redirects revenue the state earns from selling greenhouse gas pollution permits to businesses back to ratepayers — distributing electric credits twice a year and natural gas credits once a year.
—Chaewon Chung
april 16, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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Water testing in October 2017 showed possible contamination in the water faucets, Gross said.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
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According to reports, while no major damage has been confirmed so far, the next 48 hours will be critical as manufacturers inspect cleanrooms, recalibrate sensitive lithography equipment, and assess whether operations can safely resume without risking yield losses or contamination.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The causes of displacement are largely attributed to political conflict, corruption, violence and economic hardship, including widespread poverty.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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Though the official inquest failed to determine whether Zac jumped to escape danger or to kill himself, The New Yorker’s Keefe winds up blaming the death on the corruption of London in recent decades by oligarchs, con men, and international criminals.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Engineers at Rice University have developed a dual-bacterial system that converts chemical signals directly into electrical output, creating a new type of bioelectronic sensor that could detect pollutants, health markers, and antibiotics using simple electrical readouts.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
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An air purifier can also help filter out pollutants, Wargocki said.—
Kristen Fischer,
Health,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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