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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pollution
There’s the physical pollution of red dust covering cars and homes.
—
Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2025
Overharvesting and pollution with sediments, sewage, and fertilizer have mounted ever since the 1700s, a century after the first English settlement, Jamestown, was established on the James River that feeds into the bay.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
While the world gushes over Africa’s natural resources, trouble brews with utilizing them—pollution, corruption, human rights abuses, criminal infiltration.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
For one, there are fewer sunlight-reflecting aerosols in the atmosphere, such as sulfates from industrial pollution, allowing heat to build up.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2025
Overharvesting and pollution with sediments, sewage, and fertilizer have mounted ever since the 1700s, a century after the first English settlement, Jamestown, was established on the James River that feeds into the bay.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
While the world gushes over Africa’s natural resources, trouble brews with utilizing them—pollution, corruption, human rights abuses, criminal infiltration.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
For one, there are fewer sunlight-reflecting aerosols in the atmosphere, such as sulfates from industrial pollution, allowing heat to build up.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Additionally, various sanitation deficiencies such as old food residue on equipment, lack of proper glove use during food preparation, and pest contamination, city officials said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Steeped in a culture of corruption, those who would take over from Maduro would continue to prioritize enriching themselves.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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Though Cheney was not personally named in litigation, Halliburton settled a Nigerian corruption complaint for $250 million.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Akaganeite gripped pollutants most strongly, but lepidocrocite had more chemically active sites that triggered faster bond breaking.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
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And in Tennessee’s South Memphis, the methane gas turbines that power an xAI data center give off air pollutants contributing to smog and formaldehyde.—
Natalie Kainz,
NBC news,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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